Remnent
by Dazen
Summary: This story picks up directly after Allegiant. Tobias has spent two years living a half life. Things he believes to be true are about to come to light. contains : Strong Language and some sexual situations.
1. Chapter 1

**i do not own any of these characters. All rights to Veronica Roth and the Divergent series.**

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***slurp ***

I take a loud long sip from my cup. I stare into my tea for a moment. It's hot, too hot. The steam burns my eyes slightly, but it feels good on a day like this. A day when it's hard to feel anything!

For years we had been self sustaining, not knowing anything different, we found a sort of peace in it. Doing things for ourselves. But since the great revelation, or the great awakening as some call it, to the wide-open world we have taken in a few extra luxuries. Evelyn had traveled out of the city limits of our Chicago and when she returned a month later, she was a different person. She wore different clothes, she smelled funny, and sort of always had a daze about her. She claimed she had found happiness and solace in the outside world. What she really discovered was herbal tea.

I watch as the little particles of brown sticks and chips float around the pale white pouch in my cup. She seems to think it will help my mind and spirit. Evelyn's attempt at motherhood I suppose.

Today is a day. It's just like any other day. Looking out the windows in my small apartment I watch the clouds break across the city and beams of light fall from them. I smile, because I can't help but feel her when I see beauty like this. Pure, unbridled beauty.

It took me quite a long time to deal with losing Beatrice. I call her that now that she's gone. It's who she really was, at the base of it all. She didn't consume me because she was dauntless. Or because she became another person in Tris. She was..._is_…everything to me. She was Beatrice Prior and I loved her more than anything that will ever become of me or this life. She would have hated it. When I say her name I picture her nose wrinkling at me in disgust, and I smile.

It's taken me two years to finally put her to rest. Give her back to the world she helped create, that she helped save. It's what she would have wanted. Not that she truly wanted any of this. She was strong. Was. I hate that word. As I hate myself. I may have been able to deal with her death, but I still loath that I could do nothing to stop it. I like to think I have moved on. That I am working through this. Truth is, I'm really not. I am a broken man, and I probably always will be.

At night I lay in a half made bed. I reach out and touch the pillow next to me. She never touched it, she never carried away her dreams on it, but it would have been hers. I close my eyes and tell her I love her. I tell her I miss her so badly that I fear every fiber of my being will simply explode and float off into different directions. When I open my eyes I see her through my tears. She never says anything, she just looks at me and smiles. She eases my soul.

Sitting up from my chair, I place my half drunk tea down. It tastes like grass and makes me have to piss a lot. I don't like it. I walk across the room, pulling on my coat. On the wall there is a picture framed in blackened oak wood. A drawing Christina gave me not that long ago. It's like she captured a still moment in time. Tris, her shy smile looking over her shoulder. A look I often spotted in a room full of people. A look just for me. When Christina gave me this, it was the day I broke down for the first time since it had happened. I was starting to forget what she looked like. Like my brain couldn't process it anymore. This is my reminder. This is her. Her.

As I turn to leave the apartment I swoop up a tall silver canister from the table .

" Come on, Stiff. " I say closing the door, " we don't want to be late."

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I stand in front of a building, gazing straight up. The idea of what I just did makes me weak in the knees. I picture Beatrice poking me in the side trying to coax me into a second

is a strong wind picking up, and I have to zip my coat closed. I hold tight to the silver urn under my arm. It's empty now, but it's still her.

" What're you going to do with that?" Christina asks, approaching me, pulling on a hat.

" I hadn't really thought about it!" I tell her in all honesty. Was I just going to take it home and put it back on the table? Would I burry it in the back of some dusty closet? " I guess I'll figure that out when I get there."

She smiles a little. I know how tough this is on her. But she honestly is doing a lot better than me.

" What's new with you?" I ask. We don't see each other very often. It saddens me. Being near her makes me feel all that much closer to Beatrice.

" Not a whole lot. I started a new job recently. I've been painting more. It's nice ya know. " She smiles awkwardly, "Takes my mind off of things."

A hand claps to my shoulder. " You got time for a bite to eat?"

Zeke asks me.

A part of me just wants to go home with my Beatrice jar and hate life. But I agree. " Sure!" I tell him, turning to Christina, "you wanna tag along?"

Her mouth turns down at the corners, " I wish I could!" she says in earnest. " But unfortunately I have some where to be."

she says goodbye and starts to walk away, looking at her watch, realizing she was more in a hurry than she thought.

" HEY!" I call after her. She turns, walking backwards slowly.

" WHAT?" she asks, putting her hands out.

" Don't be a stranger now!" I wave. She smiles with pain behind her eyes and nods. And with that she's gone. I know she has a hard time looking at me now.

" Yeah" I say , looking at Zeke, " we can sit around with my Beatrice jar. "

" Well technically" Zeke laughs, " she's not really in it anymore, so isn't it just a jar at this point?"

"Technically" I tell him. " But it's still her."

He says nothing but he lets the corners of his mouth spike up a little. Wrapping his arm around me we brave the slight upturn in the wind and head across the street.

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writers notes: so here's my first chapter. Basically here's what happened. I read the books in one weekend. loved them..absolutely LOVED them. But my problem is the ending, which i am sure many fans felt. I wanted to see them have their happy ending. So here it is…four & six's happy ending.


	2. Chapter 2

**i own nothing. all rights go to Veronica Roth!**

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A glass paneled door opens, making a loud airy swish sound, and a man in a wheel chair enters the room. A loud rumble of machines can be heard. There's a flicker of lights from above as the old bulbs are starting to fade. Everything is sterile white and gleaning. There are no windows here. The walls are covers in rack that are half empty. This room was abandoned long ago.

The man passes a short table and picks up a small tablet from it, placing it in his lap. He presses on towards the back of the room. He comes to a stop in front of a large water tank. Multicolored tubes and wires connect this tank to two large silver metal towers. There a quiet swish and click noises about.

Without looking down he slides his finger across the tablet in his lap and suddenly, a voice.

" Hello? Oh…I see you're already in the office." Says a female voice.

" Yes" he man replies, "I had some paper work to sign for our next grant. A few new shipments are coming in soon and we need the money to store them."

A loud liquid sound catches his attention briefly, " That, and the new serum isn't mixing right." He says. His voice airs some annoyance.

" Well you have to give it time." The woman tells him, " This is too important to rush!"

The man reaches up and touches his brow. He shows signs of sleep depravity. He stares at the tank for another moment and then turns his attention to the tablet.

" This could be the key though. The answer to literally everything! We have worked so long. We have wasted so much time and energy. And to be honest I'm sick of looking at it."

With that he turns his chair quickly and starts back for the door.

" Yes well, it's not for the faint of heart David." The woman's voice calls. " Get some rest. I'll be back in a few days"

There's a beep and the screen goes black. The man named David wheels up to the door and reaches for the light switch. With a swift flick of his chin over he shoulder, he casts one last glance.

" Goodnight." He says flatly, turning off the light and exiting.

The second the lights go off, everything in the room receives a faint blue glow. All emanating from the large water filled tank in the center of the room. Bubbles are coming out of tube and float to the top, sounding like some sort of breathing apparatus. In the center, floating in suspended animation, a body. A young woman floats there, naked and frail. Her once muscular arms hung like a marionette doll, her feet barely touching the floor. She has beautiful dirty blonde hair that sits nearly shoulder length and tosses around in the water. Her eyes remain shut, like a porcelain face. A large black box sits on her mouth and every so often bubbles of air fly to the waters surface.

There's no movement. For all intensive purposes this body may not hold life at all except, a heart monitor sits to the right of the tank. Every so often a quite beep sounds. It lets the world know she is still here. But no one can hear it.

To the left side there is a large white sheet posted to the tank.

_Project code: D1_

_Observance at : 7am 11am 3 pm 7pm 11pm_

_IV intervals _

_IV of TC : 10am_

_IV of DD: 2pm_

_IV of PA: 8am 12pm_

_IV of QO: every hour_

_IV of 9Y : every hour_

_IV of 02: First of every month_

_IV of 03: Every 7 days._

_IV of HC: Every 28 days_

_H20 at 70 degrees_

_O2 at 6_

_Subject due for termination : N/A_

_Subject base :_

_Beatrice Prior_

_Age : 18_

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Writer's notes: I really hope you guys stick around and keep reading. a few of the chapters are short but i promise they'll get bigger..i have a lot written but i'm having to break it up into chapter for it to all make sense :D


	3. Chapter 3

**ALL RIGHTS TO VERONICA ROTH…I OWN NOTHING**

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"_It's probably time for me to pull out my winter jacket_."I tell myself.

I'm in my office looking out across the city. The clouds are getting thicker and grey. I know winter is almost here and they are usually pretty harsh around these parts. I wonder what Beatrice would be in the winter. Would she run around and play in it, or would she beg to be inside, warm and close to me. I shake my head. I can't keep doing this to myself. I have to heal and I'm never going to happen like this.

The door opens and in walks my assistant Karen. She crosses the room and places a lump of papers on my desk.

" What's this?" I ask, turning my chair back towards the desk.

" These are the reports you ask for." She says, folding her hands. " The ones from the outer cities."

I nod quickly, " oh yes. Yes. Thank you Karen!"

She flashes me a smile. She's a nice woman. Maybe early twenties, I have never really asked. She's not unattractive, but I don't look of her that way. She always makes sure that she smiles at me and sways on her way out of my office. She is certainly nice but I honestly just don't care about such things. Once when Zeke stopped by he tried to convince to ask her out for a drink. I know he was only trying to help me but I'm in no way ready for anything to outright bold.

I start flipping through my paperwork. It is mostly just nonsense. Revolts on the brink. Cities that have reconstructed. The proposal for new cities to go under.

Some days I regret making the turn into politics. I push back in my seat and put my hands to my face. I'm so tired. I sleep fine but yesterday took a lot out of me. Even now, remembering the zip line makes me want to vomit. I rub my hands over my face roughly. It hurts but it gives me just that extra push I need right now.

I push most of the paperwork aside into piles by city. At the bottom of the stack sits a yellow sealed envelope. I look and there is no address. Curious, i open it, finding a red piece of paper first.

**_Four,_**

**_You've been lied to._**

**_-A friend_**

I rise slowly. " KAREN!" I cry out. " KAREN, GET IN HERE!"

A moment later Karen flies the door open, " What?! What's wrong?" she asks in haste.

" Where did this come from?" I ask her holding up the folder.

" There's no address. How did this get delivered?" I add forcefully.

" It all came together!" she says, sounding a little rattled. " It all arrived in the information you asked for from the bureau files."

" Oh." I say looking down at it, " alright then. That'll be all." I wave my hand and she leaves hesitantly.

I reach in and pull out the rest of the paper in the envelope. It's copies of documents. They are slightly blurry which makes me think they were made by someone who didn't care, or someone who was in a hurry. They appear to be financial documents. The letterhead is from the new bureau headquarters. I flip through and see that there are over 50 pages here. Sitting back in my chair I look over the first page. _What I wouldn't give for some hot herbal grass flavored piss water right now_, I think, rubbing the bridge of my nose.

It's now 10 at night and everyone has gone home. I've been over these documents several times. I have no idea what this is about. Everything seems to check out and make sense. There are funds for events, for food, for deliveries. I can even tell the abbreviated names now. "CH" is Chicago, " MW" is Milwaukee, and " BF" for Buffalo. I am too tired for this but I continue on. I run my finger down the page, trying to make sure I'm not missing anything. When I see it. It's barely there, but I see it. There is a small mark made next to one of the entries. It's listed next to a city I don't recognize.

BH – D1-Remnant recurrent funds $500,000.

" Well, " I say, running my hands through my hair, " What do we have here my friend?"

I stop. _Friend. Four._ This person knows me. Anyone can end a letter with friend. But there aren't many people who know me as Four. Who has access to something like this?

I start to rattle though people from dauntless who would have access to this type of information.

" Cara? No. Cara is working for that gym they opened in the city. " I scratch my head. " Zeke? He does work for the city. But he wouldn't keep something from me. And why like this when he could just tell me himself. Christina? Well she did say she had a new job."

I sit back and stare out my window. " Peter used the memory serum, so he's out. Matthew works for the bureau. But he's been a loyal friend, even if we don't see each other much. Amar. Caleb."

I sigh heavily. I gather all my papers and turn off my light. Going home will help clear my head.

When I walk in, I drop my keys on the table next to Beatrice's urn. As I pass it I graze the top with my fingers. " Hey you. " I tell her, looking up to the picture. I smile at her and try to remember her kiss. I know what it looks like, but I can't feet it anymore.

I pour over the paper for days. I use all my resources and try to pry out what D1 in BH could stand for. Trying not to make waves as I do it. Unfortunately no one seems the wiser about it. I sit on my couch reading the paper on a Saturday afternoon. I'm trying to do my best to keep myself busy. I'm brought out of my daze by a heavy knock on the door. As I approach it I see a little red sheet of paper slide under the door. The same red paper the note was on with the documents. Before I pick it up I pull my door open.

Nothing but a blank empty hallway! I look up and down and see nothing. No one.

" Hello?" I call I take a few steps down the left end of the hall. "HELLO" I call louder, " IS SOMEONE THERE? YOU CAN JUST TELL ME TO MY FACE YOU KNOW?"

I turn on my heel and come face to face with a very large wide man. My heart leaps to my throat at the startle of it. Falling into my Dauntless ways, my elbow comes up to protect my face.

" Oh!" I yelp, immediately recognizing my neighbor John Matchkiss. " Hello Mr. Matchkiss!"

He's an odd fellow, who keeps to him self. But he certainly isn't the deliveryman.

" Enough with the yelling!" he says sternly, and then walks back to his door, watching me as he enters and shuts the door.

I give one quick glance around and head back to my apartment. Bending down, I pick up the paper before shutting and locking my door. Opening the creased paper I see a few lines scribbled.

**_Four,_**

**_You need to know the truth._**

**_ Can't you hear her?_**

**_Be brave._**

**_-Your saving grace_**

I shudder. _Can't you hear her?_ I grab my envelope and my letter and head out the door.

It takes me all of twenty minutes to get to Zeke's home. I bang heavily on the door continuously. Finally he swings it open, dripping wet.

" Sorry I was in the shower!" he says, slightly out of breath, Wwhat seems to be the trouble?"

I push past him. Apologizing for the intrusion. He has a modest apartment. But it's rather large, too large for my taste. Zeke excuses himself and returns moments later, dressed but his head still drips a bit.

" Alright!" he says sitting across from me. My legs are shaking and I keep folding my hands into each other. " You have to calm down for a second. And tell me everything. "

I start at the beginning. I retell the hours spent going over the financial documents. As I hand him the last red letter I feel my face get pink and warm. It tugs at something deep within me and I cannot quite hold it in place.

Zeke sits silent for a while. Going back and forth between the papers. His lips are pursed and he has a wrinkle between his brows. Finally he speaks up, " They call you Four." Flicking his eyes to me.

" Exactly!" I jump, " The amount of people who know me as that is dwindling. " I point out.

Zeke gets up and goes to his fridge. He returns with two brown glass bottles of beer. He opens them and hands one to me. He takes a heavy swig and gulps it quickly.

" What are you going to do?" he asks, looking blankly at the floor.

" What I have to!" I say, swirling my bottle in my hand, " I'm thinking Matthew might be able to help. At the very least he might know that code that I don't!"

For a while we stay silent. I watch him and he watches the floor. He clears his throat.

" Can't you hear her?" He says flatly, his voice almost cracks. He turns up to me and his eyes are glistening. " What do you think that is?"

" I don't know" I say. My body feels raw. Like I have no self control right now, " I just don't know."

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writer's note: i spent a lot of time going over what characters i was going to use, since i had a few to choose from. my conclusion was to use a basic platform of characters. Basically who you'll find is four,Tris,zeke christina and matthew. While i use a few smaller roles here and there, they are the main characters.


	4. Chapter 4

**All rights to Veronica Roth…i own nothing.**

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A lifeless body hang is water. Her hands carefully float as if in dance. A beautiful ballerina letting the current carry her. She's eerie to see, but it's hard to turn away. A few feet away someone watches her. They wear a lab coat and they stand straight. A clenched fist and a groan.

" I just don't understand." The voice says, stepping closer. A hand rests upon the glass " I'm trying! I'm trying all I can do safely. If we aren't careful they could terminate you before I could rest a breath."

The person walks to one of the silver towers and opens it. Inside there is tubes extending into vials. Each one labeled something different.

" Look at this cocktail they have you hooked up to!" the voice exclaims, " no wonder your sedation is so heavy!"

The person writes down a few notes on their hand of the different substances within the tower. A distant noise sets them on edge, and they stand up straight. As they walk out of the room they stop and turn towards the tank again.

" I hope you're ready Tris, " the voice sounds wary but uplifting, " because you're gonna wake up soon!"

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Writers note: sorry for the short chapter, had to make a decision to make it a chapter on it's own or add it to another, and this just made more sense!


	5. Chapter 5

**All rights to Veronica Roth…i know nothing.**

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I don't go into the office the next morning, and to be honest, I really just don't care. These red letters are burning a hole in my head.

I take the train out of town, reaching the area that used to contain the edge of the fence. But instead of empty farmland I find a new train that leads towards the Bureau Headquarters. I'm the only person there and I appear to be right on time, as the next train pulls into the station. Boarding, I find it still odd that this train car has seats. It's too awkward for me and I choose to stand in the doorway, peering out the window at the landscape as we pass it.

Trains always make me think of her. Trains were our place. Our solace we would seek together. She always smelled like fresh air. I hate that I cannot breathe the outdoor air in as we plow through the country side. I reach forward and pick at the rubber seal around the door. I pick and pick but it doesn't fray. I slide my fingers harshly up and down it looking for some weakness but I never find it.

By the time we reach the Bureau building I am red in the face, my eyes glossed over, and I'm pulling on the doors so hard my shoulders hurt. I haven't done that sort of exertion in a long time. There is a bell and the doors open. This platform receives several trains a day so several people are there to watch me exit the car.

I pull my sleeve down on my coat and quickly wipe my eyes. I can hide that, but I've got to calm myself if I want my flushed face to diminish. I walk towards the building and shudder to myself. I had returned only once and that was a few weeks ago to retrieve Beatrice's urn. I hadn't gone inside though. Matthew had met me outside with it.

This time I actually had to enter the building. The place where I had lost her! Where I had lost it all. I walk into the main lobby. The black stone fountain is gone and replaced with a small group of trees, their root systems viewable. Something having to do with growing and knowledge, I suppose.

I walk up to a desk nearby where a man with a bright shinning metal circle stands.

" What can I help you with today, Sir?" He asks me. He's older and fairly tall. He has a large thick grey mustache across his face. It's so dense it's hard to see his mouth until he smiles. He wears a badge with the name Phil on it.

" Hello there, Phil!" I say, maybe a little too friendly. I trying to hard. "My name is Tobias Eaton."

" Tobias!" I voice cheers from my right. I turn my head to see Matthew walking towards me, smiling and holding a small brown paper bag.

" What're you doing here?" he asks. He's happy to see me, but I can tell he's curious.

" Wanted to get out of the city. Needed some time to speak to you. If you can spare it, that is. "

His smile grows a bit. " Sure, " He says, " I was just about to go out and enjoy my lunch!"

He claps me on my back and we walk back towards the exit.

He takes me to the side of the building where there are a few large rocks and some tables with chairs.

" You eat lunch out here?" I ask, finding it a tad funny.

" Well not usually this late in the year, " He tells me, " but bad weather is on it's way and I want to enjoy the nice warm sun while I can. As you can imagine, working here, I don't see much sun." He chuckles at himself and I let out a smile.

" But the weather and my eating habits are not why you have come here today, Tobias. Are they?" He gives me a weathered wary look.

" No, " I say, removing a few sheets of folded paper from my back pocket, " I need your help! Are we safe to speak here?"

Matthew gives a general look around, " Yeah! I don't see why not. Don't think anyone honestly comes out here but me. And look, " he points up, " not a camera in sight.

With my own glance around I unfold my papers. And start retelling the story. A few moments later and Matthew is looking over the document. I watch his eyes scan over line by line, page by page.

"BH?" he says, " D1?" He stares off across the grounds and I watch as utter confusion slowly widens his eyes and his mouth opens ever so slightly.

" What is it?" I ask. He doesn't immediately respond. Forgetting myself, I grab his collar with my hands and pull him twice, " WHAT MATTHEW? WHAT?"

" Go home, Tobias. " he says flatly. Although, his face still shows a heavy expression.

" Why? What is wrong?" I am on the verge of begging him.

" Listen to me carefully! We just stepped into a heavy load of shit. Get up and take your papers! Get on that train and go home. I have to go back into work now but I promise, " he turns towards me and stares me down, " _I promise _I will be there as soon as I am done. Tell no one that we spoke."

"Alright!" I say, standing up and walking away. He places his hand on my shoulder and turns me quickly

" Tell no one!" he clarifies.

" Fuck." I say, my mouth turning down a little, " Zeke knows. He knew I was coming here."

Matthew sighs slightly but his eyebrows fall to normal, " That's fine, but no one else, alright? This is fucking serious shit here Tobias!"

I see the seriousness in his eyes as I turn and leave. As I approach the train platform I see him walking back into the building, he runs his hands through his hair. He's nervous about something.I hate leaving, but i have to put my faith in him right now. Something i wouldn't have been able to do if it hadn't been for Beatrice. She helped me trust again.

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Writers note: Thank you to everyone who has submitted reviews. Updates will come just about every day now. I have nearly 100 pages written now so they'll keep coming :D

If anyone is interested, while i write i always listen to music…A few weeks ago i went to a concert with my boyfriend and his cousin, to see a band i had never heard of. The opening act basically changed my life and to be honest, set the tone for this story. So if you're interested i have the album " Homewrecker" by Little Hurricane playing. In particular i find a strong bond for Four & Tris in the song " Haunted Heart" :D 3


	6. Chapter 6

**All rights to Veronica Roth..I own nothing.**

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It's 9:45 pm and Zeke sits on my couch. His hands are folded and he goes between staring at his feet and somewhere outside in the distance. I can tell by the look in his eyes that he's strained. Not that I'm doing any better.

" You have to calm down!" He tells me. I've been either standing by the window or pacing for the last two hours.

" I can't calm down!" I say, not even looking in his direction, "You didn't see his face! You didn't see the fear!"

" Well can you at least have something to drink so that you stop pacing? You're wearing me out, man!"

I realize that is probably driving him nuts. I go to the fridge and grab two brown bottles out and give him one. I open it and begin to chug it with all my might. I can hardly breathe but for the moment it takes my mind off of things. There's a knock on the door. I drop the bottle, sending bits of beer all over my seat and dash for it. I fling it open and see Matthew standing there. His hair is out of order and he looks like he probably ran the whole way here.

Without hesitation he comes in and says, " Lock the door."

He crosses into the living room and sees Zeke sitting there. At first he looks like he's going to pitch a fit, but then stops." Alright fine! " he says, walking to the windows. He proceeds to shut all of my curtains.

" So?" I bark. " What did you find out?"

" First off. Why is this important to you?" Matthew asks. It seems like such a bizarre question to me. Like one he shouldn't have even asked. " Honestly! What do you think this is?"

"Well to be honest I wasn't thoroughly invested aside from the fact that someone who's known me since my Dauntless days is trying to contact me. And then your face! Your face man told me everything! "

" So, BH isn't a city!" He tells me, looking at me with his wary eyes again. " I don't know where it is, but it isn't anywhere in the registry."

" Well that's odd isn't it? " I tell him, looking over to Zeke, who generally seems confused to all that is going on.

"I suppose so, yea." Says Zeke, turning to Matthew, " is that the worst of it?"

" No. Not yet at least." Matthew says. " Two, nearly three, years ago I was asked to work on a project. One that was high level of clearance and very seldom talked about. The projects name was _Remnant_." He clears his throat and continues, " The bureau had a theory that the Divergent had special qualities to them. Since they had become genetically perfect, they had become literally that. Perfect. Their minds worked faster. Their bodies healed differently. Well, they always wondered what would happen if that was harnessed. Used for the benefit for mankind. They were only conducting small tests. Trying to use it on a cellular level. Mainly using animals. We saw changes in their chemistry. Animals with deformities were getting better, smarter."

He pauses and gives us a moment to take all of this in.

"Jeez!" Zeke says, breaking the silence. "So it was working? That cracked out idea was actually working?"

Matthew turns slightly toward Zeke, "It really was. We were in the process of getting a grant in order to take it to the next step. The human step."

" What stopped you?" I ask him

" Some thought it was a terrible idea. See in order to do this we would have to test on humans. And no one is ever okay with that." He drifts off and get quiet.

" What?" Zeke asks leaning forward on the couch, " What is it?"

For a moment he looks Zeke and I see his cheeks get bright pink, slowly he turns his head to me.

" Before the awakening, when we used to watch you all on the monitors, we didn't use your names since there were so many of you. So you all had codes of a sort. And the most important had high clearance codes." His voice drifts off again, but after a moment he finds his strength again. He hands me the single document sheet I had given him.

" D1 was given to a special person. The most special person in the program. A single human being who showed more promise than anyone else. A Divergent to over shadow all others." Slowly he looks me in the eyes.

All the air escapes my body. " Tris." 

" Wait! Wait! Wait!" Zeke shouts, standing up. " What does that mean? So what, they're performing experiments on her body? Then who went down the zip line the other day?"

I grab my Beatrice jar and slam it on the table in front of Matthew and point to it.

" What're you telling me Matthew?" I yell, gripping for any conclusion., " You mean they still have her body and I've been…I've been mourning someone else's ashes?"

I feel bile in the back of my throat and I can hardly keep it down.

" I don't know what it means!" He yells back at me, standing and meeting my eye level. He runs his hands through his hair roughly. " I have no idea alright!"

" THIS INVOLVES TRIS! So how the fuck do we get an idea?" I scream. I'm at my boiling point. I'm swallowing hard to keep the vomit down.

" I have to look more. They only have a general description on here of how much money they're allowed. It doesn't list what it's for. If we can find that out then maybe it will clear some things up. " His words are helpful, but they sting.

I start to get dizzy. I think it's just my anger but then it takes me over. I lose focus and tunnel vision kicks in. I stand strong, breathing heavily through my teeth. Suddenly I lose myself, falling into the wall, " I just, " I start but can hardly finish, " I need to go lay down."

" Tobias!" Matthew calls out but I hear Zeke stop him.

I make it to my room but crawl across the bed like a child. To think of the horrible things they could have done to her! I imagine them chopping her up into little pieces and performing tests on them. Placing her between glass slides and looking at her through a microscope. Deconstructing her into just another experiment. I cry myself to sleep that night.

* * *

Writers note: nothing much for notes today. Just hope that you are all enjoying the story as much as i am writing it. As i write it, my heart is literally breaking for Tobias..just shattering for him.


	7. Chapter 7

**All rights to Veronica Roth….I own nothing.**

* * *

There is a squeak from a door and David rolls himself into the blue-lit lab. He grabs a handful of papers and looks them over briefly before noticing that he wasn't the only person in the room.

" Jeez!" he says, " You're like a damn cat! How long have you been here?"

"A while" a female voice responds. " I've been watching her."

" Just for fun?" he asks, a little bemused. He watches her from across the room. She stands with her arms crossed and her brow furrowed. It's almost as if she can't complete the puzzle. Finally she turns her face and lifts her hand to shield her eyes, making a face as if she is about to be sick.

" No." the woman says, " I hate her. I hate what she is. Who she is! But we can't go on without her. I'll be glad when this is over and we can get rid of her."

David wheels himself closer.

" I share your sentiment. At least, if everything goes as planned, I'll be walking by then."

The woman places a hand on his shoulder and rubs it gently.

" How long do you think until we can take our findings public?" She asks sinisterly.

" A month", he guesses, " maybe two. Depends on how this next trail goes. She's been responding wonderfully to some mixes, others, not so much. It was touch and go last week when she had a drop in her vitals but thankfully they were able to bring it back up. She's not doing great, but she's alive enough for what we need."

" What's her general health?" The woman asks, playing with her hair absentmindedly.

" Like I said, " David looks to her, " Her vitals were down last week but we've brought them up. Her heart is going. We aren't meant to spend long periods of time in water, or on drugs. Her muscles are failing. Her heart won't last very long either. Her blood pressure is kept very low and the drugs take it even lower. There is no way of knowing what she would be like in this condition if she were awake. Which is why it's best to terminate when we're through!"

The woman crosses his path and stands directly in front of the tank. She stares into Beatrice's eyes. There's hatred there. Her lip curls and she grimaces. " It's hard to imagine this vile human contains everything we have worked for. Everything we have been looking for."

" We have made final preparations for our contingency plan." He says, handing her a sheet of paper, " Just in case it all goes to shit."

" It won't." She says calmly. " No one is looking for her and our information is redacted to leave any mention of her out of it."

" You sure are ballsy!" he laughs, turning away from her and towards the door, " Come. Let's get a drink."

As David exits the room, the woman still stands and still glares at the lifeless body in front of her. She smiles an evil smile and proceeds to spit on the tank. When she walks away she seems to hum to herself. 

* * *

Writer's note: Sorry for another short chapter. Instead of waiting for tomorrow i may just upload another tonight…I haven't decided yet. Thoughts?


	8. Chapter 8

**All rights to Veronica Roth….I own nothing!**

* * *

I lie awake in bed for a long time. I'm on my side staring at her pillow again, crying so hard my head hurts. I just want to touch her skin, feel her warmth again. I'm so cold without her. She's there, looking at me and smiling. I cry out that I love her and I miss her. It's the same old hallucination. Except this time, she touches my face and speaks. " Hush now." She coos, " Can't you hear me?"

I awake with a start. Sitting up, I rub my eyes. My pillow is wet with tears. I get up and head towards the kitchen for water. There's a creak in the other room, and when I turn I see Zeke sitting up on the couch.

" You stayed here all night?" I ask, finding myself embarrassed and hot in the face.

" Yeah", he says yawning, " hope you don't mind! I couldn't bring myself to leave you by yourself last night."

I don't let him see but I smile. " Thanks man." I say. Zeke will always be a true friend.

I pull out a few pieces of bread and start making a bit of food for the two of us. There's a knock at the door and as I walk over, I see a familiar piece of paper slide under it. I scoop it up as Zeke passes me. He flings the door open.

" Don't bother", I tell him, " no one is there. "

He looks around for a moment and then turns and shuts my door with a frustrated noise.

" What is it?" He asks.

I walk back into the kitchen, taking a sip of coffee. I unfold the paper and read it out loud. 

_Four,_

_Bureau Headquarters._

_Room 35C_

_Computer in the back corner by the window._

_File name : Remnant_

_She's waiting for you._

_- Please hurry_

"Fuck." I say, looking at Zeke " That's the third floor. How to we gain access to that? I don't even think Matthew has that clearance." 

* * *

Another day passes, and I haven't been back to work yet. Not that I care, because I really don't.

I send word for Matthew to meet at me at my place, making it sound casual just to be safe. He made me feel uncertain about privacy when i saw him the other day. It's midday when he knocks on my door.

" Hey!" he says trying to smile, " I brought some beer!"

Without a word Zeke pulls him inside by his shirt.

" Whoa fella!" he exclaims tumbling into the room, " What the fuck was that for?"

" Nothing in particular", Zeke smiles closing the door, " it's just quicker that way. "

Matthew crosses the living room and aims for me. First he's smiling, until he sees my face. My mouth is flat and brow is pushing low.

" What's going on?" He asks me, " What's with the serious look?"

I say nothing, just glance down at the coffee table. I watch as Matthew looks down and sees the paper. Without a word he picks it up and reads it. I'm biting my nails. I haven't done this in a long time. He's done quickly and he looks at each of us.

" Those are the archives", he says, scanning the room.

" Well…" Zeke says, crossing his arms, flicking his gaze to me. I look right back at him, thinking. After a moment I look to Matthew.

"Don't look at me!" Matthew says, mouth agape, " I can't get you in there?"

" No…", I tell him, " But you can get me close. Can't you?"

Matthew is getting nervous. He pulls on his collar a little to release the pressure he's feeling. " Okay sure." He says hesitantly, " I can get you close. But…"

" That's all I need to know then!" I say, sitting myself down in the chair behind me.

" How about when?" Zeke asks, reclaiming his seat as well. Matthew still stands in the center of the room. His hands are out in the air like he's trying to gather the oxygen around him.

" Guys! Come on!" he exclaims, " You aren't REALLY thinking about this are you?" 

" Come on?" I yell, " THIS HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH HER, SO IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH ME! THAT GIRL IS MY FUCKING LIFE MATTHEW. EVEN IN DEATH SHE DESERVES BETTER THAN ME BUT I'M ALL SHE HAS! I WILL FIND OUT WHAT THESE FUCKERS HAVE AND WHY IT HAS TO DO WITH HER!"

My palms are sweating from the fists I keep creating. I taste vomit again. " AND I'LL SAY THIS ONCE, IF THEY DID ANYTHING…ANYTHING TO DESICRATE HER BODY SO HELP ME, I WILL RUIN THEM. WE BROUGHT THIS PLACE DOWN ONCE. WE WILL DO IT AGAIN!"

I slam my fist as hard as I can into the arm of my chair. There is a _CRACK_, thankfully it's the inside of the chair, and not my hand. Slowly Matthew sits where he stands. He doesn't so much sit, as fall back into the wall and slide down it until he is seated. He's sweating. Taking his sleeve in his hand, he wipes his forehead and cleans the area around his eyes.

No one speaks for a few minutes. It feels like hours, but watching the clock, it's only five brief minutes.

" What do I have to do?" Matthew stutters.

" Just get me in." I tell him, " I can do the rest myself. Just get me close enough to that area."

" Fine!" He stays, standing up. He is very wary and unsure of himself.

" Tomorrow." I tell him, standing up to see him eye to eye. " Is tomorrow possible?"

" Yeah…", He fumbles, " Yeah tomorrow will work."

" What will he have to do?" Zeke asks. He looks a little worried but he won't question me.

" Just show up. I'll go in and change the clearance level for you. I'll tell them that you need some info for a grant. That'll at least get you up in the general area." Matthew lays out for us. He walks towards my door and turns, " I'm going home now."

" Tomorrow then!" I take his hand in a heavy handshake.

With that, Matthew leaves. He's concerned, but I know he will come through. I send Zeke back home as well. He needs real rest in his own bed.

" Are you sure?" He fights me, " I have no problem staying."

I know he means it but I tell him no. " Really! Go. I'll be in touch tomorrow."

He leaves with a clap on my shoulder. He smiles but his eyes have pain. He knows what I'm going through.

After he is gone I lock up and go and sit in bed. So many things run through my head. The idea that they could do that to her flattens my lungs and I strive for air. I lay down and pray to myself. I pray that when I go into those computers tomorrow, that Matthew is wrong. He has to be wrong.

I close my eyes and push the day away.

* * *

Writer's note: As you wish…. :D

see you tomorrow!


	9. Chapter 9

**All rights to Veronica Roth…I own nothing**

* * *

I awaken the next morning. When I get out of bed I feel the most refreshed I have felt in a long time. I step into the shower and the hot water washes away so much pain and anguish. This leaves me feeling so new. I feel like I finally woke up again. Normally I'll wear blue jeans and just a t-shirt when I'm not at work. But today I fall back into old habits. I pull out a pair of black denim jeans. I rifle through my drawers and find a grey shirt. It had been hers. It was a bit too big for her, so she usually slept in it. Over it I pull on my black leather jacket, leaving just enough of her grey shirt showing so no one bothers me.

It takes a while but eventually I find myself standing in front of the Bureau building. I take a deep breath.

"_Be Brave_" 

* * *

"Tobias Eaton!" I tell the guard.

Before I know it he hands me a piece of plastic with a clip. I start to walk away and attach my badge to my jacket. That easy? Could it really have been THAT EASY? I try not to over think it so I don't over work myself. I cross the main lobby and head for the elevator banks. I wait only about 10 minutes before I see Matthew come around the corner. When he sees me he stops in his tracks for a second, taking in the idea that we were really doing this, and then continues towards me.

" Good Morning Tobias." He greets me as if today is a causal day as any.

" Morning Matthew! How are things?" I ask him. We chat for a few moments before we step onto the first elevator to open, making sure it's empty. Once the doors are shut I turn to him.

"Talk to me!" I demand.

" Alright!" He hands me a small piece of paper, " This will get you onto that computer set. Now listen. This computer will record any info that is being looked at over a certain amount of time. Your best bet is to find it, print it and get the fuck out of there! Ya follow me?"

" Yeah I got you!" I say, putting the paper in my pocket. " Talk security!"

" You have three arms guards that patrol the area." He says, "Technically you are allowed on the floor, but not in that room. Once you're in that room it's up to you to stay hidden. Once you're done, head out the way you came and just stay and act as normal and every day as humanly possible."

We come to the second floor and the doors open. Matthew makes his way out of the elevator and stops.

" Be safe! Be quick! I'm done for the day so I'll wait for you downstairs. We'll head to Chicago together."

" Thanks!" I tell him. The doors shut before I can say more. I want to say more. I feel a tightness in my chest and throat. I have to relax.

Seconds later the doors open again and suddenly I'm on the third floor. When I step out I get a rush. The last time I roamed these halls were with Beatrice. My heart is racing and I start to lose my vision. Quickly I grab the wall next to me. I see someone coming and act as if I'm having a sneezing fit. It seemed to work because all they did was give me a " god bless you" and keep on their way.

I take a left, as instructed by Matthew, and slowly make my way. Before I know it I'm passing room 35C. I look at the door for a moment and turn pass it. I walk to the end of the hall and scope it out. 35C is a corner room so there are two points of entry. I see one of the famed armed guards walking down the hall heading my way. I stop for a moment and act like I have no idea where I am going.

I start spinning in circles and looking frustrated.

" Need help, Sir?" the guard asks me.

I quickly notice he's holding a bar of chocolate in his hands, trying to open it.

" Yeah I've been working up here for a while, but I'm not used it yet. Where can I get something to eat?"

" Well the cafeteria is down stairs. " He tells me, " but if you want something smaller there are vending machines down this hall back that way!" He points to an unseen area behind him.

" Alright!" I flash a smile, " Thanks man!"

I see him pass around the corner and out of site. Quickly I back track to the unexposed 35C door and I pull a small knife from my boot. I place it near the locking mechanism and slam my hand into the end. With a semi-loud _POP_, the door swings open. I pull myself in and shut it again behind me. I know my time is limited.

I think about my note. _Computer by the back window_. I spot it immediately and rush to it. Grabbing the paper from Matthew out of my back pocket I hastily press it flat. Instead of sitting in the chair I kneel next to it. I hit the space bar and the computer screen clicks on.

It asks me first for my personal code. I look around the windows to the hall and see no one. I turn to the paper.

_PC: MGH000099k_

I enter it quickly, still looking around me, and keep going. Next I need the sub-code.

_SC: PPD93562-2236_

My hands briefly slip. I'm sweating profusely and I have to reenter the code. I hear something and duck. Two women in long white coats stand outside one of the doors, I hear the handle move. I can't make out exactly what they are saying, but before I know it, they walk away together.

I have to be faster. Lastly it asks for an access code.

_AC: CODEXXREM_

Instantly there is a flash and the screen changes to all blue with two icons. One is an empty trash folder. And the other is a little yellow box labeled REMNANT. 

_**Jackpot!**_

I come back to myself and open the folder. I don't read the two documents there. I simply click it and find the word print. I hear across the room the printer has turned and is spitting out the pages. I'm about to close it when I change my mind. I click on the second document and press print. As soon I see it send I close the computer down. Once it's off, I dart across the room. I am just about to reach the printer when I hear the door and drop myself under the nearest desk. I look around the edge and see one of the guards taking his keys out and unlocking the door. Suddenly it's dead quiet. The printer stopped. I exhale deeply as the door creaks open.

The guard walks in and turns the lights on. I squeeze myself as small as I can get against the bottom of the desk. I hear him walk through the isles of computers. He takes his time. What an asshole! He takes one final loop and walks directly passed me. I hold my breath as he passes the desk I'm under.

Five more minutes tick by as he finishes his check. Finally, he leaves. I don't hesitate. Looking to see if the coast is clear, I jump up. Grabbing the paper from the printer I bolt. I get to the door and slam it shut. It's a moment before I realize I'm running down the hall and I need to stop. I don't need to run. I walk to the end of the hall and press the elevator button.

" Hey there!" a friendly voice echoes behind me.

I turn and see that same armed guard smiling at me, " did you find something to eat?"

I forget what he's talking about and then my memory flashes back , " oh yeah! No! I remembered I'm actually meeting someone for lunch. Thanks for the help though!"

The guard carries on his merry way and I slip into the elevator. As I decent, I grip the paper in my hand. I want to cry. I'm trying not to look. Get outside, I tell myself. Get outside on the train and you can look all you want. Don't break down here. I head out the door, reaching the sun and grab my for knees. I feel like I cannot breathe.

_In. Out. In. Out._ I tell myself. I close my eyes. I see spots and feel like I'm on the verge of passing out. But I have to keep going.

And I'm gone. I'm running to the train platform. When I get there I see Matthew standing there waiting for me. I step up to him as soon as the train pulls up. We enter without a word. The train speeds towards Chicago and we stare out the window.

Finally we're alone in an empty rail car when Matthew speaks.

"Well at least you made it out okay!" He says over the wind, "did you get everything you need?"

I don't say anything, I just hand him everything. He takes them from me with a smile. Everything seems fine until his face changes. His eyes grow wide and his lips part. Quickly he pulls the papers towards his chest.

" WHAT?!" I yell.

He says nothing, I see tears in his eyes, although I don't know if they're real or from the whipping wind.

" MATTHEW! WHAT?!"

" When I explain this! You're gonna want to be sitting down! Can you wait a few more minutes? We will be back at your house shortly!"

I approach him but he puts his hands out, " Let me read Tobias! Please! Just let me read!"

I turn and walk to the edge of the car, grabbing my familiar handles and lean out. I open my mouth and let the wind envelope me. I breathe heavily and let it take me over. It's the worst I feared. I just know it. I start to picture the most horrible things. Then I get flashes. Holding onto the rail, I picture her. Holding her tight in my arms. She smiles at me. I come back to earth.

When the train stops I grab for Matthews shoulder. " We're going to Zeke's. I need him now!" I yell out. 

* * *

" ZEKE OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!" I cry, slamming my hand into the door to his apartment.

Just as I wind up to hit it again, the door flies open.

" Why are you always in the shower?" I ask as I charge past him. His hair is soaking wet.

" I like to be clean!" He tosses at me, letting us walk by. " What's going on?" he asks, closing the door and approaching us.

I turn sharply and sit, looking at Matthew.

" Well? We're here! Go ahead!"

Matthew walks over and sits near me. " Now listen to everything I say alright. EVERYTHING!"

I nod, grabbing the arms of my chair tightly.

He takes a heavy sigh and begins.

" Alright first of all there are a lot of things on here. It doesn't help with what the program is or what it's doing. But more like a shopping list of what they have ordered over the past 3 years. They ordered a tank with water filtration pumps."

" So?" Zeke asks, " What does that mean?"

" It means", Matthew turns to him, " that they basically have a big fish tank on hand. And a really big one by the looks of these specs. Now listen. There are a lot of drugs listed on here. So, basically they're testing for everything. They are attempting everything they can. There are drugs known to the rest of the world and drugs that Erudite have created."

His eyes meet my own, " There's an IV listed on here that would keep someone hydrated."

And I stare right back at him, " Wait. Why would they keep something hydrated that's immersed in water?"

" There's more." His voice is strained. I hear it cracking and shaking as he speaks. He puts the paper down and covers his face with his hands. " I don't know how to say this. There is also a feeding tube and a breathing apparatus."

I don't look at him. I can't. My gaze is trained on Zeke, whose eyes have widened to their max. He says something but I can't hear it. I've gone deaf. My vision is blurring but I stand up. Tumbling forward I watch as Zeke comes closer, and I collapse into him. We fall to the floor and I start heaving. My walls close in around me. I feel like I'm in my fear landscape again, but this one i couldn't escape. I grab for my chest, I can't breath but I manage to cry out. 

"She's alive. _She's_…"

* * *

Writer's note: It was really hard trying to figure out where to cut this chapter..hopefully you all agree it was a good place once you read the next chapter. Enjoy!


	10. Chapter 10

**All rights to Veronica Roth….I own nothing.**

* * *

" I just don't understand how this is possible!"

" I don't either! This is unbelievable!"

" I think I'm going numb…what do we do?"

" I guess we wait for him to wake up. "

I toss in my bed. I can hear Zeke and Matthew talking nearby. I can't seem to get up. I have waking dreams for an unknown amount of time. I keep going back to two places. I'm sitting with Beatrice, kissing her, telling her I love her. Then it's cold and dark. I'm lying next to her dead body, screaming for her to wake up. The next few hours are a blur.

" He needs to eat something. We need him at full strength."

I hear Zeke's heavy steps as he walks towards me.

" Four!" He says, gently shaking my arm, " Four! Are you awake man?"

" Are you alive?" Matthew adds.

" Yes", I answer, my arm hung over my eyes, " and I'm not sure."

I have an overwhelming pressure in my chest and my head in just pounding. I feel weak and dizzy and nauseous. I pull myself up and sit forward, putting my hands in my lap. I stare at them. They are numb. I squeezed them so tightly into fists that there are fingernail marks in my palms that are turning to bruises. I feel something welled up inside of me and I let it free. A cracked sob emanates from my core. I lift my hands to my face and let my sobs fall into them. I think back to when I found out my mother had been alive after thinking she was dead all those years. I cried, but it was the sobs of the child inside of me realizing my mother had left me behind. It's weak of me to get this emotional now, but this is different, this is something I cannot fight. Even in her absence, Beatrice is changing the rules.

" She's alive…" I look to them.

There is a glimmer of hope behind their eyes, but it fades. I know exactly what they are thinking. We have no idea where she is. She could be on the other side of the known world for all we know. I try to sturdy myself enough to sit on the edge of the bed. Zeke hands me a large glass of water.

" Keep your fluids up." He says with an air of demand in his voice, " You passed out pretty hard there for a while! Eat too!"

He shoves a haphazardly made sandwich in my lap. He smiles because and I can tell this is probably the first food he's prepared on his own in a while. It takes me a little while but I grasp a hold of reality as firmly as I can.

" So.." I start, " what can you tell me?"

Matthew sits next to me and pulls out the sheets of paper.

" When you printed this, what was the other file? You printed two items from that computer! What was the other logged as?"

I place my hand to my brow and try to think. " I don't know. I don't remember even paying attention to that!" I tell him, "There was a guard and some lab technicians floating around. I didn't look hard enough. I just printed and got out of there!"

I feel ashamed.

" Don't worry about it." He tells me, putting his hand on my shoulder. " It's not important. What was IN the file is though! Names!"

I look to Zeke and then to Matthew.

" Names?" Zeke asks.

" Yeah Names. Not full ones, but first initials and a last name. Enough to help at least." He flips through the paperwork. " I didn't know what to think of it until I came across a name I knew. A scientist name Abe Fitter, A. Fitter. I know it's him because whenever I see the name I laugh because I think it sounds stupid."

A smile cracks on his otherwise straight mouth.

" And look. " he points down, " there's their salaries. You'd think to go after the higher paid people, but no. You want someone underpaid because they are most likely doing all the work. And this guy Abe, is getting the shit end of the stick, which means he probably spends long hours at this place. He is getting paid such a small amount it's sad really. Which means he's probably low leveled and easily broken."

"He comes into the city every few weeks for meetings." Matthew continues.

The cracked smile grows on his face, causing Zeke and myself to look at his wide-eyed.

" I could schedule one for tomorrow, if you want?" He teeth are bared and he looks a little nuts.

I look back and my hands, rubbing my palms together. I can almost remember what it felt like to hold her hand in mine. The peace and solace it gave me.

" Make it happen."

" Go to work tomorrow." He tells me, " Dig up his file and bring it with you."

" Bring it where? " I ask

" I don't know", Matthew says with a raised eyebrow, " Any ideas where you can shake someone down?"

Zeke stands up a little straighter, " I got a place!"

" Yeah? Where's that?" I ask with my mouth open into a smile.

Zeke smiles back at me so big and proud. I see some of Uriah in him when he does that. A trait, if I remember correctly, he gets from their mother.

* * *

Writers's Note:

I'd like to take a minute to bring something up. I got a review today and i'd like to talk about it. I hope this person doesn't mind me using the review for a moment, i'm not calling them on anything, i would just like to explain in case any of you feel the same way.

_**"We can be mended we mend each other" there is no trace of Four all brave and calculated This is Tobias who struggles to breathe an ex control room worker struggling with computers my only suggestion is staying true to who he is but yay Trissy is alive...**_

First of all i'd like to say i was happy when i read this because it means my story is making people think. Alrighty….so i completely see where this viewer is coming from. There is only one person who could bring Tobias to his knees, shake his world, and that was Marcus. Or so Tobias thought. He never dreamed that Tris would be able to break him down that much, although not in the same way. The strong Tobias we saw was a cover, because as we know ( and what he revealed to Tris) he was broken under it all. Tobias sees Tris' passing like any other Dauntless does, as a brave one. But over time, he breaks down. He no longer has to use his Dauntless exterior. And as far as him going through the second person in his life to come " back to life"…when his mother reemerged he doesn't have the same reaction. He even says that he realized she had left him behind and what that did to him. She left of her own free accord. Tris on the other hand, although she didn't actually died, she had given her life for all of them. All of this is what stirs Tobias into the mental anguish he feels.

and as i said to the reviewer….Be patient. Dauntless Tobias will return.

as far as the "struggling with computer" idea. He isn't struggling. He's used to the computer systems they have within Chicago. The technology they were given. What they have at the bureau is going to be different. Think of it as a Mac owner trying to use a Dell.

thanks for reading!


	11. Chapter 11

**All rights to Veronica Roth…..i own nothing**

* * *

" David! There you are!" a young woman in a white coat shuffles quickly down a hallway towards a man in a wheel chair. " I was just going to get in touch with you!"

" What is so urgent, Claire?" He says rather sternly. He comes to a stop and slightly turns towards her.

" The cells from D1 that we used in those mice…" She pauses, looking at who is around her, " they worked at 97%! That's as good as any! "

She smiles at the man, obviously favoring him some. From behind her she pulls a blue plastic notebook and hands it to him. Opening it, he flips through and sees it is data charts, and examines them.

" Good!" David cheers, his flat mouth upturning into a crooked smile." That's wonderful news! Tell Dr. McFrain, I'm ready whenever he is!"

And with that he went on his way.

" What're you doing here? I wasn't expecting you for a while!" David calls across the room as he enters. There is a woman standing directly in front of Beatrice's tank, blocking her from view.

" What do you think she thinks about? Where does the simulation take her?" she inquires.

" Exactly where I put her!" David tells her, crossing the room and stopping right next to her. "Heaven."

" I don't follow." The woman says, looking down to him. " I thought I told you to make it complete hell for her. To make her suffer!"

" I couldn't do that!" He says, " In order for the body to respond to changes in itself normally, it needs to be happy. If you make it feel fear or terror or pain, it will change the results. I had to make her as happy as possible."

He smiles, and it's something of evil.

" Yep", he chortles, " She's happy fucking dandy in there. Living the life she dreamed of. Stupid bitch! Would you like to see?"

He gives the woman a raised eyebrow and with a smile, she agrees. They approach a near by computer screen and turn it on. This wasn't like the Fear Landscapes where you could see the person but not the environment. You could see it all.

Tris lies on the floor of a very bright, well lit room. Outside the windows is the city, hustling and bustling. A pillow under her head for support, she wears a smile on her face.

" Hurry up!" Tris yells, laughing, " You're going to miss it!"

" I'm running!" a voice calls from somewhere off screen. In jogs Tobias, grinning ear to ear. " Am I too late?"

" Almost!" Tris yelps.

Tobias falls to the floor next to her and places his hand on her stomach. The looks at each other for a few moments and then with a jump they both start laughing.

" Oh my god I felt that!" He cries out in victory. " That was amazing!"

He looks at Tris with pure joy. Lowering his face, he brings his mouth to hers. They kiss tenderly. Then, before pulling away, he kisses the tip of her nose.

" I love you." Tris tells him quietly, her eyes squinting from the sun strewn across the floor.

" I love you!" He smiles, rubbing her stomach, " Both of you!"

"Ugh!" the woman cries out throwing her hands up in the air, "disgusting!"

" Yes well, it's not a perfect world for YOU, now is it?" David jokes. " It's meant for just her. I designed it so it just replays the same things over and over again."

" How long will it last?" The woman asks, walking away from the monitor and back towards the tank.

" As long as we need it to", David says, " I suspect until we decide to terminate her."

" I'd kill her now if I could." She whispers, running her fingers along the glass. 

" Now listen. "David shouts, " I know you have a grudge against this girl but she's the best chance we have. The best chance I have. So until we're finished; hands off Evelyn!"

* * *

Writer's note: Sorry i didn't upload yesterday. Went to the ER with chest and back pains. All is well though. i apparently pulled something while exercising. Needless to say after 6 long hours in the hospital …i came home and did nothing for the rest of the night.

I'm sure some of you may be asking a few questions after this chapter,..but just hold on a little longer…a lot of answers will come in the next few to come! :D


	12. Chapter 12

**All rights to Veronica Roth…I own nothing**

* * *

I look at my watch. 7 o'clock in the morning. Too damn early for me anymore. I feel so wasted. I have my jacket pulled tightly against my body and my hands in my pockets. Today's the coldest day so far this year. It smells like snow. I know snow doesn't actually smell, but it seems like it will any moment. The sky is greyed over and there is a heaviness to the air.

I'm leaning against a large pillar just outside of a two story, recently vacated, warehouse. One of the men Zeke knows from Initiation used to own it until he got injured on the job, and the whole place went belly up. Needless to say, no one is really around. 7:15, they must be close by.

Down the road a ways I see some movement and change positions to get a better look. Matthew followed by some man who appears to be shocked by his surroundings. He looks every which way like he expects the sky to fall. Before they see me, I duck inside.

" Where are we going?" An unfamiliar voice asks, " Are you sure the office is down here? This all looks like rubble!"

" Yes I'm sure! " Matthew calls over the cold wind, " it's a renovation in progress. But the guy assured me that he would be here!"

There are two knocks on the door and I open it so they can't catch a glimpse of me.

" Here we go!" I hear Matthew say. And two sets of footsteps clamor into the echoing building.

Before they can react Zeke steps out from behind the men and grabs up the one he doesn't know. Wrapping his arms around the man's body he holds him tight and he begins to kick his legs wildly. He attempts to scream but I quickly place a ripped up piece of fabric I found on the floor around his mouth. His eyes widen when he looks me in the eyes. He knows me, or at least my face. He continues to squirm in Zeke's arms until we get him to a side office and strapped to a desk chair.

" _Mmmmmphmm_!" the man yells into the cloth in his mouth, "_Mmmmph! Mnnph MnnnnmmMMph_!"

" HEY!" Zeke yells, his voice carrying throughout the room, "IF YOU STOP SCREAMING WE'LL GET YOU THROUGH THIS!"

The man stops and looks up at the three of us standing over him. Turning behind me I slide up a stool and sit in front of him; eye to eye. I take out a small sharp knife from my boot and toy with it in my fingers.

" Answer a few questions and I'll take off the gag…alright?" I ask.

The man nods slowly.

" Good!" I say, " No screaming though alright?!" He nods again.

"Splendid! So…is your name Abe Fitter?"

He nods.

" Great! Well at least we found the right guy!" I joke, flicking my eyes to Matthew briefly, " Do you live at 25 Tree Line Road?"

His eyes twitch a little but he nods again.

" Is your Wife Debbie? And your sons are Franklin and Martin?"

Abe's eyes widen to their fullest width and he nods again, starting to sweat.

" Last question Abe. I lean and get as close to him as I can. Taking the flat end of the knife, i push it against his chin and watch as his body gets rigid. "Do you know who I am?"

He looks right back, and nods once.

I sit back in my seat and exhale deeply.

" You did good Abe!" I tell him, " Now my friend here is going to take your gag out, okay? No yelling now or it goes back in."

Zeke approaches and slips off the gag. I watch at Abe stretches his mouth out and fervently licking his lips for a moment.

" How do you know me, Abe?" I say, handing him a bottle of water. " Who am I?"

Taking the bottle from me, he uses his free hand and sips from it. " You're Tobias Eaton. Marcus Eaton's son. You are one of the most famous Dauntless."

It's weird to hear, but I take pride in that statement. I put a lot of myself in what I did for Dauntless. I shake my head a little and come back to where I am.

" So let's talk about why you're here Abe. You have information that I need. I need it very badly and with must haste. And I'm sure you're thinking that at this point you'd just give me it. But before you do I'm going to give you a few extra reasons why cooperation is a great idea for you. First of all we know a lot more than just the names of your family members and your address. Let's see here", I open up the folder I was able to retrieve through work. It's a comprehensive dictionary on this man's life.

" Let's see. Let's see! You've been married for 15 years to your wife Debbie, who's maiden name is Jert. You have two children together who are 8 and 13. Franklin just started playing the drums and it looks like he might make marching band soon. And as for little Marty, as you call him, He's taken up a love of farm animals. And often asks to go out to see the farm lands of Amity calling them, 'Moo Cows'! Making my point? How about you and your wife have been trying for a third child for 5 years now with no success. You've entered couples theory for your problems in the bedroom, when really you had surgery 6 years ago so you can't have children anymore. "

I throw the file over my shoulder and Matthew clumsily catches it.

" Listen Abe. I could keep going but I really don't want to. There's a lot of bad stuff in that folder. I mean there is a whole chapter on that girl, that Loraine girl, from Florida. You know what I'm talking about don't you, Abe? So here's the thing. You're going to answer my questions! Now i don't want to kill you or generally maim you in any way. We've already established you're too nice for that. I'm going to be your friend. But if you lie to me. My friend see... My friend here is going to beat the shit out of you." I tell him, pointing to Zeke. He's making it convincing by cracking his knuckles, "If you lie more than once, well Abe, I know where you live." To punctuate my words I slam my knife blade between his legs into the chair. Never taking my eyes off of him, i watch him recoil into the chair. He trembles briefly but quietly stops.

Finally He speaks again, " What do you want to know?"

" What's project Remnant?" When I say it I watch as he squirms in his seat a little bit.

He takes another swig of water, nearly emptying it, and clears his throat.

" Well I guess I would normally ask what you know. But since you went to such great lengths to find me, I'll assume it's not much. Project Remnant was created with great purpose. It was originally put together to study the genetic codes of the divergent. Simply to study them. To figure out at what point their genetic codes fixed themselves. It was fascinating really. The way we work as an organism. For a good year we were making extraordinary finds. One of the scientists put up a theory one day, what if we could harness this genetically perfect gene and use it to help people. Cure the sick and what have you. Within a month we found a sequence that cured a strain of cancer. CANCER! Alright, I know you don't know of cancer, but it's a harsh disease. So immediately it was put forth that we were to continue to type of testing. One of our more prestigious scientists came forth with an amazing find. Something that could change the way we looked at the project. The perfect specimen, a level 3 Divergent."

"Tris.." I mutter, before I realize I'm saying anything at all, " you mean Beatrice Prior, don't you?"

" You have to admit, she's special! You were close with her, I'm sure you saw it. She had something no one else did. And we knew it. Originally we just wanted to learn more about her genetic code worked. What made her that much better than the other divergent we had come across? At least that was the original plan. That same scientist who first brought us the information, he became obsessed with her. He watched her constantly on the cameras, had people giving him updates on her. Everything was cataloged."

" So what happened after she died?" Matthew speaks up. I don't take my eyes off of Abe. I feel my face starting to get hot.

" That's just it. She never did. When she was shot, she was sent to our offices immediately. A few specific doctors worked on her and saved her life. They put her into a sleep state, her heart beat barely noticeable without instruments. It took me two months to find out what had happened. They explained we were keeping her for more testing and they were making everything top level clearance and only a few of us were allowed to know. So then there were 20 of us, which is astounding since 50 or more were on the original project. They told us what we were doing was for the greater good. That this would keep us from disease. This would make the healthy that much better. The project took a dark turn when rumors started to spread about the head scientist was using it for person gain. He's wheel chair bound and he was looking for a way to walk again."

Before I can ask my next question he cuts me off, " There's something you should know. They are keeping her alive but she won't survive in that tank forever. They have plans to terminate her once their studies are done."

" How long do we have?" Zeke chimes in, " How long does she have?"

" Weeks. Maybe as little as days!" Abe tells us, " They're close. They're really close!"

" What's the scientists name?" I interrupt, " The wheel chair guy?"

" He's super private and I've only met him once, " Abe explains, " and he was only introduced to me as David."

I taste bile. I'm going scream. I stand up quickly, grabbing my knife and walk away from him.

" _David_? Are you sure?" Matthew asks, taking my seat.

" Positive! I remember thinking that it was the same as my father's name!" Abe reaffirms.

Matthew touches his face in horror, " How did he get his memory ba.."

" Where is this lab?" I ask loudly from across the room, interrupting Matthew. I have to lean on the wall for support.

" You see the paper? BH? It's Below Hudson. It's here, within the city limits! The entrance is an old building, not that dissimilar from this one. She's only 5 blocks from here." He tells me. Zeke walks over and cuts him lose from the chair, giving him another bottle of water.

" You can take him out of here" I tell Zeke. " We're done."

Abe stands and stretches. As he leaves the room he stops next to me placing a hand on my shoulder.

" It's it any comfort. She's not in any pain. David created a simulation that's her perfect scenario. She's happy and has no idea what's going on. But when she comes out that may be a different story. She's on a heavy amount of drugs and it's going to be hell bringing her off of them. I suggest you listen to me carefully. Next to the main tank there is a cabinet with several shelves of little bottles. Take at least three of every kind and a box of needles from the bottom. It'll be the only way. We never wanted to hurt her. She's like a miracle to us."

" Why are you helping me?" I ask him sincerely.

He looks mournful when he speaks, " Because I would do anything for my family. And if anything were to happen to them, I would die."

I know he means what he says. I can hear it in his tone. I don't say thank you but I let the seriousness drain from my face. I watch as Zeke leads him out the door by his shoulders.

Zeke reenters a moment later. " I gave him a slug just for good measure."

"_Zeke_!" Matthew cries, " _What the fuck_?"

" What? It was his idea! Might make it more convincing if he gets found out. " He laughs, " Seems he wasn't a bad guy after all!"

He really wasn't. Leaning against the wall still, I gather my thoughts. _Five blocks!_ I think to myself. I could go there now! In and out before they knew anything had happened. Although i know nothing about this place and i could be walking into an army for all i know. Not to mention i could get Beatrice killed. It's an odd thought, considering i've thought of her in the past tense for two years now. I can't risk her life while i'm trying to save it. I need structure to go in. I try very hard to push the idea of her being so close to me right out just out of my mind. Turning i look at Matthew and Zeke who are conversing fiercely. I can't do this alone and between the three of us, Matthew probably can't even shoot.

I need someone i can trust. Someone who will put all of themselves into this without question.

I need another shooter.

I need Christina.

* * *

Writer's note: Nothing to much for notes. Just wanted to say thanks to those of you who are still reading! See you tomorrow.


	13. Chapter 13

**All rights to Veronica Roth…I own nothing.**

* * *

I haven't eaten in a while, and I'm starting to feel sick. Needless to say Zeke attempts to cook for me again, but all I want is bread. I want a simple meal. Abnegation food. I sit in my kitchen gnawing on a full loaf of bread when there is a knock on my door. I jump up to get it.

" Hey!" I say, opening the door to greet Christina.

" Hey!" she says. She still doesn't know how to act around me. I think a part of her will always see me as an instructor.

She walks in and sees Zeke, walking to him they embrace in a short hug. There are a few casuals thrown around. She appears to be in good health. I hate lying when I tell her I'm great, but I can't just jump into it. She sits down at one of the stools near my table and accepts a cup of tea from me.

" So what's new? What's with the ridiculously late night call?" She asks, blowing on her hot tea. " I was worried when you contacted me."

" With good reason." Zeke mumbles, meeting my eyes.

I watch Christina's eyebrows squinch together in confusion and I take a seat next to her. Her hands rest on the table and I very slowly and look her in the eyes. And I repeat what Matthew said to me.

" What I'm going to tell you won't be easy to hear or take in. And you probably are going to want to believe it at first. But you will. You need to listen to everything I say. Everything! Okay?" I tell her.

She gives me a wary look and nods. And I start from the beginning. I tell her about the weird letters and from her reaction I have ruled her out as the person who sent them. When I tell her about what Matthew had found out she nearly falls out of her seat.

" WHAT?!" she screams. Her eyes immediately begin to tear up and her face flashes red, " NO! NO YOU CAN'T BE TELLING ME THIS! SHE'S DEAD! I SAW HER! HER BODY WAS COLD! SHE WAS GONE! " She begins to sob openly. " NO! NO!"

I watch as her little body crumples and slides off the stool onto the floor. I give her a moment. I let her grieve. Some time later her cries have stopped and her breathing has slowed. I bend down to her now and touch her back.

" Christina. There's more! " I tell her, " She's here. She's so close to us and we didn't even know it!"

Christina lifts her head to me. Her face is as red as an Amity flag and her face is drenched in tears. She sits up and wipes her eyes with her sleeves and looks at me with attention.

" I need your help! Tris needs you! Can you still shoot?" I ask her, raising us to our feet.

" I practice every week." She says flatly and standing, " I'm going to ruin those fuckers!"

I had never heard Christina swear, but her Candor self is still fairly strong in her, and I know she means it. She wipes her eyes again and takes my beer from the table top, drinking it down. Letting her Dauntless flag fly.

I lead them into the other room, my bedroom, our bedroom. As I walk to the closet by the window I look to her pillow. _Soon_, I tell myself. I grab the handle to the closet and, throwing a look over my shoulder, wrench it open. I've stock piled about 30 guns varying in caliber and size. I grab a large gun with a strap and slide it over my shoulder. Stepping aside I watch as both Zeke and Christina move into the closet and pull out their own weapons.

" Are you coming with us?" I ask Matthew, who's standing in the corner watching us. " You're welcomed to!"

" Not sure what good I would do!" He says, running his hands through his hair, " I don't shoot."

" You ever used a fork?" Zeke asks, smiling

"What sort of question is that? Of course I have!" Matthew says to him, looking confused.

" Good!" Zeke laughs, " Then you can handle a knife!" and he hands him a large boot knife.

Matthew turns the knife over in his hands a few times before he slips it into his belt. " Alright" he exhales, " I'm in!"

" We storm in! Guns high! Maybe no one will fight back and we won't have to shoot. Far as we are aware there aren't many guards since no one knows about this place. Everybody ready?"

I look around the room and everyone stands at attention.

I turn to Christina and she cheers, " let's go get our girl!"

On the way out the door, walking in a line, I watch as Christina and Zeke both reach up and touch Beatrice's portrait. When I pass her I stop.

" I'm coming Beatrice! I hear you! " I kiss my hand and touch her face. I don't know how I am going to handle any of this.

* * *

I sort of black out for a little while. When I come back to reality I realize I'm standing in front of the buildings side entrance with Christina and Zeke. Christina is checking her gun and Zeke is tying his shoe.

" Are we ready?" Zeke asks, standing up straight.

" I'm good!" Christina says, dropping her gun to her side. Seeing them like this brings back bad memories. It gives me a sour taste in my mouth.

Zeke stands up to the door and leans on it, pulling on the handle. With a nod he backs up and throws his shoulder into it.

There is a breaking sound and we barge in. There is a big empty room ahead of us. In the center sits a round high desk. I look over and see a singular guard standing in the middle of it. He keeps looking down, to what I assume is a gun of some sort. We approach him cautiously, our guns lifted.

" I don't want to hurt you. " I tell him, " But you have to tell me how to get into the lab."

He stares at me for a second and then with a blink he says, "What lab? This is an abandoned warehouse. Ain't nothing here but me, and I'm just here to make sure no one breaks in."

" If it's just you," Christina ask, " then why are you armed?"

The man stands straight but the corner of his mouth twists up a little. " Maybe if I knew what you were looking for, I could direct you."

" A big lab" Zeke speaks up, " big tank of water."

The man shifts his eyes between the three of us. I watch him as he studies our faces and without another thought, lifts a hand to the left side of the room. " Take the elevator on the left down to the 6th floor."

I give him one final look and we run to the elevator bank. I push the button on the far left and the doors open immediately.

" He said DOWN" Christina looks at me sideways, and the doors shut. There is a faint piano playing from speakers above us.

I press the 6 and something strange happens. We start dropping, instead of raising. I tilt my head up and stare into the lights above me. My adrenaline is so high! I have to concentrate on breathing, if I don't I may pass out.

I watch as Christina and Zeke both fidget. We're all nervous. I have no idea what we're getting ourselves into. As we pass the fourth floor I notice the coldness in their eyes. I feel it within myself as well. Our anger has reached its peak.

The little number six above the door lights up and with a bell like noise, the doors open. I raise my gun as I step out. There are only a few people in the hallway but no one seems to notice me. For a hidden lab, their security is fairly lax. We scuttle down the hall to the right and wind up running to a group of several lab techs. When they see us they all gasp. I am assuming they are all low-paid worker like Abe and they probably have never seen a gun up close before. As we walk closer I notice them all scattering to get out of the way. They cower from us. I wonder if they too know us from watching videos, or if they are from the time of factions. We walk down the hall in a cluster formation. Keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. Christina turns around and walks backwards most of the time.

I don't have time to wonder these halls, and there is no telling how big this place is since it's underground. I grab the next person in a lab coat that I see. It's a middle aged dark skinned man with thick glasses. I grab him as kindly as I can, and push him to the wall so I can whisper to him.

" Where is D1 held?"" I ask looking directly into his eyes, clenching my jaw. I watch Zeke and Christina take position behind me. It makes me slightly light hearted to see them still using their skills.

The man looks at me and I can tell from his eyes, he honestly doesn't know.

With a grunt I speak up a little, " Where are you high level security labs?"

He's already sweating and grabbing for his freedom when he points us further to the right. I drop the man, apologize, and break into a run. These hallways feel never ending as we race past room after room. We come to a new section of halls that are painted a different color, gray and murky. Christina shuffles ahead of me and catches a glimpse around the corner we can't easily see. She quickly snaps her head back to us.

" A dozen guards, maybe more." She says. Her mouth frowns with fear but her eyes, her eyes are alive with excitement. She was always meant for Dauntless.

"There is no way we can get around that many guards and expect to make it out of here alive, let alone with Tris!" Zeke says. He's right. There's too many for three of us. There's a loud noise and I hear what sounds like a whole lot of people. Christina peeks again and her face grows grave.

" They're coming!"

I look around and see there is literally nowhere to go.

" Psst!" I hear. We turn around and we see a door cracked open behind us. And a hand gesturing to follow. With no other option we crouch down and head into the dark room. The light flicks on and we see a young woman standing against the wall. She's sort of tall, dark brown hair with a lot of yellow in it. Before I can do anything Zeke charges on her. He lays his arm over her throat and holds the gun to her temple.

" Who are you?" Zeke demands in a hushed voice.

The girl shutters against the barrel, and she gasps for air.

" WHO ARE YOU?" he says a little louder.

" Please, I'm here to help!" she says through her gulps. She looks directly at me, " Four! It's me!"

* * *

Writers notes: sorry for not updating yesterday, still not feeling 100%. Hard to get things done with a strained rib muscle. Anywho…i hope you're all enjoying my story :D


	14. Chapter 14

**All rights to Veronica Roth…I own nothing.**

* * *

" Do I know you?" I step forward. I scan her face over twice and realize I have never seen this girl in my life.

" No!" She said, " but I know YOU!"

I touch Zeke's shoulder and he releases her. She takes a second and catches her breath, grabbing her knees. After a moment she stands up straight. Her face is flushed.

" It was _ME_!" she says, " _I sent you the letters_!"

I stop and look at her. Who the hell is this girl? How does she know Beatrice and me?

" How do you know me as Four?" I ask sternly.

" My name is Mary Cline. I was originally assigned at the old bureau building. I was assigned to you. They kept tabs on anyone of importance and you being the son of Marcus Eaton and all, you became important. I had watched you for nearly 7 years. I even named my own son Tobias. You became important to me. And then you started to fall for Beatrice and I knew, I knew I had to keep her safe!"

What she is saying is something out of another world to me. It's been two years since the great awakening of Chicago, but it still stings.

" Yeah that's great, and sort of creepy!" Christina says, " But why are you trying to help? Why would you risk your life?" She pushes her little gun in Mary's direction.

She tenses up but answers, " I want to get Tris out of here! She doesn't deserve this. All they are doing to her. She deserves to be happy, to be with you!" She looks right at me.

" I was there for everything!" She says, stepping towards me, speaking quietly. "The time she held your hand. When you saved her life. That night in the chasm! Even your fear landscape! I saw it all."

" So what do you want out of this? What is your end of the bargin?" Zeke interrupts.

I can't help but relive those moments. Moments I was begging myself not to forget. What keeps me going is the idea that we'll have new memories to make. Suddenly my body aches in such a way that it hasn't in a long time. I need to hold her close again. I need to feel her skin against mine again.

" I just want to help! I want nothing!" Mary says.

" So help!" Christina yelps at her.

" You want to get out of here? You probably aren't in this to hurt anyone, at least not anyone here. We're mostly unimportant techs. Scientists, good people, who were forced into this program! Pull the fire alarm!"

" So everyone runs!" I say, realizing she's right. " The alarm will cause havoc. That still doesn't take care of the guards though."

" No." She responds, looking down. " They won't move unless moved. But at least most of the innocents will be gone. "

Before I can ask she says, " She's passed the guards, to the left. Room 8."

We head back towards the door but before I can make it a hand touches my arm. I turn to see Mary grasping me.

" Be safe!" she says, " Take good care of her!"

" I still don't understand, " I tell her, " I don't know why you are doing this! Why are you showing empathy and sympathy towards people you've never met?"

" Four and Six." She says quietly, " You gave me something to believe in."

I touch her hand in gratitude and I head for the door.

It's a quick breath between the time that we leave Mary behind and I'm watching as Christina is pulling the lever on the fire alarm. In an instant I feel like I've been crashed into as the wail of the alarm goes off. I see people running in every direction. I watch as some try to save experiments, and some are just saving themselves. I peek around the corner and sure enough, the guards stand strong.

" Alright lover boy!" Christina turns to me, " We're are going to get them running after us. Meanwhile you go get her."

" That easy?" I ask, my eyebrow up.

" That easy! You're Dauntless remember, don't over think it!" She says smirking.

" I'll find you afterwards!" Zeke tells me, clamping a hand to my shoulder. I nod back to him.

Zeke and Christina exchange looks. They rise together. Christina fires a single shot into the air and runs out into view of the guards.

_" What's up, Fuckers_?" She yells in a cocky tone, Zeke clamoring in next to her.

I watch as they take off running down the hall to the right and out of sight, smiling and laughing as they do. A moment later I see the gaggle of guards chasing after them yelling for them to halt and to lower their weapons.

" I guess it WAS that easy!" I say to myself. I close my eyes, " Be brave!"

I jump up and run down the hall to the left, just as Mary had said.

" Hold it!" I hear from behind me. There is a single guard standing there holding a gun at eye level. She yells again, "Hold it right there! Drop your weapon!"

I don't give her a moment to think about it, I raise my gun and fire. I don't intend on hitting her, just getting her out of the way.

She ducks but fires wildly in my direction. Thankfully she is a shit shot and completely misses me. I pass room 7 when I hear her firing again. I throw myself to the ground and pull my gun up. I tap my trigger twice. I watch as one bullet strikes her knee and drops her, and the other her shoulder. She raises her gun and tries to fire but can't and it shoots into the wall.

I hear the final shot and I push myself through a door. This is a swish and the door closes in front of me. The room is cold and dark, except for a blue glow. I hear an odd noise. It's a gurgling noise. Then a beep. And another And...

A shiver goes up my spine and I start shaking.

* * *

Writer's note: I want to take a second and thank of you who are still reading my story. It makes me ecstatic to know there are those out there who certainly not only like my capability of writing, but enjoy my imagination.

I also want to add….some of you have questioned characters and how they are different than Roth's versions. What i'd like to say to that is in a fan fiction, you can make things into what you want. In my story all of these characters have now spent two years as a fraction less society and they are attempting life as normal human beings. Imagine losing your identity and rediscovering who you are, not only as a singular person, but as a whole society. It's going to take it's toll.

PS. Mary is basically the ultimate fangirl.


	15. Chapter 15

**All rights to Veronica Roth….I own nothing.**

* * *

I lower my gun and slowly turn. When I do, I experience something like a punch in the gut from some invisible force. My knees go weak and I fall. Crumbling to the ground.

Before me is a large glass tank full of water, and in the center, Beatrice. She floats angelically. Not quite alive but more alive than the last time I saw her. My heart starts to break and something comes over me. Her simulations, she kept finding herself in that glass box of water. They even tried to kill her that way before.

"_ OH. MY. GOD _!" I cry out, scrambling to my feet, my vision blurry.

Before I get to her I turn, seeing the cabinet Matthew told me about. I yank the door open, nearly pulling it off and begin to fill my pockets with all the items I can possibly carry. Zipping the pockets shut, I turn.

" How do I get you out?" I ask myself. Turning in circles. I can't shoot the glass; that could put her in danger. I see a chair in the corner and I go for it. Grabbing the chair, I slam it to the ground a few times, breaking pieces off. I turn back to the tank and begin to bang on it, harder and harder. I feel my hands sweating and I keep losing grip. I'm about to give up when I see a small crack form. I'm engulfed in empowerment.

" Hold on baby! HOLD ON!" I yell to her, hammering my hand onto the glass. I continue to smash the broken chair into the tank and with every hack I see the crack growing. I cry out and, putting every last once of strength I have, give it one final blow.

The crack expands the entire length of the glass and there is a horrible breaking noise. Before I can get out of the way the entire pane cracks in half and water and glass shatters every direction. I fall to the floor and feel a heavy weight crash into me. Without thinking I wrap my arms around her and lift her into me. I find an IV sticking out of each arm, and with reckless abandonment I yank them out. She's gonna be pissed about that one later.

I stand and hold her tight, running for the door. Outside is total anarchy. People are running everywhere and the fire alarm continues to wail. I run in the direction I came from and I nearly run smack into Zeke.

" Is she?" He yells over the alarm

" Yeah!" I yell back " WE GOTTA GO ZEKE! WHERE ARE CHRISTINA AND MATTHEW?"

" Christina has the elevator open and secured, waiting for us, and Matthew is procuring transportation!" He tells me, his eyes squinting from the loud alarm.

Something I hadn't even thought of. Leaving this part of town. We can't just run all the way back like this with her in this condition. I remember I'm holding on to her and I press her a little more firmly into me, I swear I feel her move.

Before I let this affect my judgment I flash a look at Zeke and we start running. We take off towards the elevator banks again. The last one on the left is propped open my Christina's foot.

" HEY!" she calls to us, " DOWN HERE!"

We push through a group of doctors scrambling to get out of the way. The screaming is piercing my eardrums. Thankfully the elevator is still working with the fire alarm sounding. Zeke and Christina face forward, guns drawn, as we ascend.

" Fuck!" I think out loud looking down at her still body. "I should have covered her up, it's freezing outside!" In my infinite wisdom and in the sake of hurrying I didn't even really notice she was completely bare.

Without turning, Zeke removes his long coat and passes it to me. I grip his arm as he gives it back. I crouch down and pull her from my arms and start wrapping her in it. The creases of her elbows are bleeding a little from the IV's I ripped out, but it's nothing to fret about. I bundle her as tightly as I can. Christina still won't turn around.

" Are you okay?" I ask, tapping the back of her leg.

" I can't ", she says. She remains forward, but I hear a cracking in her voice, " not yet."

Just as the elevator doors open, I scoop up Beatrice again, and we're off. Suddenly the same guard at the front desk stands up, holding a rather small gun. I look down the barrel and all I can think is how wrong his stance is. No wonder his gun is small, anything bigger would knock him over. Zeke lifts up his rather large gun to eye level and approaches the man.

" Listen here alright! I don't want to shoot you, but I will. And unlike your gun that could blow a hole in my head, if I shoot, you will lose your head. All of it! So please Robert, " He says, flicking an eye to the guards badge, " Let us go! Save four lives instead of taking them!"

Dropping the gun to the desk he slowly raises his hands in the air, stopping and bringing one back down. Zeke charges the man, gun still raised and yelling, " What did I tell you? I tried to give you an easy…"

But before he can finish the man hands him something. Zeke looks down and sees it's a winter knit hat. As he takes it from the guard he says, " It's frigid out there. Her head is soaked, don't want her catching a cold!"

Zeke nods and returns to us, stretching the hat over Beatrice's head. His eyes begin to tear. Looking to me I realize he hadn't really looked at her before. The moment consumes me and it makes me disgusted I cannot give him his brother back. I lower my eyes as Matthew calls over to us.

" Guys! We gotta get out of here!"

As we rush through the building and out the door I get one last glance at the guard. His hands are still in the air and he smiles, giving me a nod. I realize he will probably be killed for this, for helping us. And I think he knows that.

The cold air fills my lungs and takes my breath away. I see Matthew standing next to a broken down van. I have seen a few of these around for deliveries. Matthew takes the drivers seat, as the only one of us who knows how to drive. The rest of us pile into the back. Zeke gives me a hand up into the back.

I sit on a crate and lay Beatrice across my lap. Her skin is cold and shivers. She's shivering! Signs of life, no matter how small, elate me. I'm touching her face, looking at her, and yet I can hardly believe I'm doing so. How could I forget this face? My fingers retrace the lines of her jaw. Time has stopped and I'm not even sure I'm breathing. There's a flash of black and suddenly Christina is knelt in front of me. She starts sobbing and collapses onto Beatrice's chest. There isn't really any noise, just movement as her body begs for air between sobs. She lifts her head, blue and purple makeup streams from her eyes down to her chin. Zeke reaches out and rubs his hand down her back and she moves herself away from us slightly, taking her seat again. She grasps one of Beatrice's free hands and holds it to her mouth. I can't hear what she is saying, but her lips are moving.

We leave the van a few blocks away from my apartment and walk the rest of the way, using the back door to the building. Quietly slipping to the door of my place, I hand the keys to Matthew, who unlocks the door. I rush in and take her straight to the bed. Laying her carefully, I make sure she's on her side. I walk to the dresser and pull out a pair of socks and her too big grey shirt, pausing to look at it. Never thought I'd ever have to give this back to her.

I shield her body and pull off Zeke's coat. For a second I look at her three birds. I had forgotten how beautiful they were. Quickly, to keep her warm, I pull the shirt on her and then the socks, and even grab a towel from the bathroom and try to wrap up her hair in it. I cover her with a blanket when I'm done.

I stand back and just look at her. She's so peaceful. Christina passes by me and sits on the end of the bed, placing a hand on her ankle.

" Can she hear us?" she asks.

" I'd tend to think so!" Matthew says, leaning near me on the wall, " She is just drugged, not comatose. I have no real doubt she can hear us in her subconscious."

He walks forward and, turning her arm in his hand, presses on her IV wound. Suddenly her muscles twitch and her arm gives a short spasm.

" She moved! " Christina yelps. Turning to me and smiling, " Did you see it?"

" I thought she moved when she was in my arms. I squeezed her and I could have sworn she adjusted herself."

" She's in there alright!" Matthew confirms, " She's reacting to pain. That's a great sign. It means her brain functions are fairly normal!"

" Is there a chance that they wouldn't be?" Zeke asks entering the room finally.

" There could be a chance." Matthew says grimly, " They had her on a huge mixture of drugs. She won't be out the woods for a while." He leans down and does a few short checks on her before continuing, " Her pulse is good, weak but good. And her breathing is shallow but that's to be expected, she's used to being on a breathing machine."

I remember the bottle in my pockets and quickly unload them on the edge of the bed next to Christina. I drop nearly 30 bottles down and a box of needles from my jacket.

" This is good!" Matthew tells me, smiling, " She's going to need all of this. Worst case scenario I can get more if we need now that I know what's she's been put on."

" When will she wake up?" Christina asks him, frowning.

" Well she's no longer going to be getting that IV of simulation, so soon I'd gather!" He says, rubbing his neck.

" What is it?" I ask, stepping from the wall.

" Well", Matthew says walking to Zeke and myself by the door, "it's just. Remember what Abe said? She was in a simulation of perfection. She is in a world of her wildest dreams, her desires. And we are pulling her out and bringing her back to reality. That world is all she's known for two years now. It's going to be an adjustment. I mean she may not even want to accept that she is here. And lets all keep in the back of our minds that we can't go rushing in to tell her things. Let the whole two years talk wait until she's ready. We don't want her going in to shock.

It's getting late and Zeke heads home, promising he'll be back soon. I know he is having a hard time with this. It must be hard to see someone you thought was dead come back and not be able to bring back your own loved one.

After he leaves Matthew approaches me. " I should probably get going too!"

" Are you sure?" I ask, " You're going to be safe right?"

" I'll be fine!" He tells me with a small smile. I can tell he isn't sure of that. Before he leaves he goes over the different injections I'm going to have to give to Beatrice, explaining them carefully. When I ask what to do, he says he leaves it to my best judgment.

I watch him walk out the door, and Christina stops near my shoulder. She takes my arms and guides me into a tight hug.

" This is all you." She speaks quietly, " You did this! You brought her home to us! I owe you more than you will ever know!" I feel her body tighten as she holds back a sob. Quickly she pulls away and walks out.

I walk back to the bedroom and lay down next to her. She's so still, so quiet, that it scares me. The days events take their toll on me and my eyes grow heavy. I close my eyes as I close my hand around hers.

I awake with a start. I look at my watch, I had only been asleep for two hours but it feels like a lifetime. What woke me? Then I feel it. Her fingers are twitching around my own. Then I remember what Matthew said.

" Tris!" I whisper into her ear, " It's me. It's Tobias. I'm here Tris! Please wake up! Please come back to me!"

Something comes from her lips that sounds more like a moan than anything else.

" There you are!" I tell her, touching her face to mine, " I hear you Tris! Come back to me baby!" I would never call her such a thing, but it come from my mouth so easily.

I see her chin lift a little. Then, under her eye lids, I see her eyes shifting back and forth. Her lips part and she breaths her first normal breath. Heavy but she takes it all in and exhales normally. I sigh in relief. Her fists and feet start moving awkwardly. It looks like she's trying to move. Then I think about it. She may not have realized she was in water, but her body did, and she's reacting to it. Her knees bend and kick slightly. She's swimming. I sit up watching her every movement. Her arms move out and her chin goes tilts up again. This time her mouth opens wide and she gasps for air. And then she goes perfectly still.

" Tris?" I speak quietly as to not frighten her, " Tris, it's me!"

Her eyes flash open and she seems to look everywhere but at me. She begins to scream, but since she hasn't had to use her vocal cords in so long it comes out deeper, and cracked. She grips the bedding around her and starts pushing herself around like she's unsure of her stability. I have to act. I lay down nearly on top of her, taking her arms in my hands and holding her down.

"NO!" She screams, " NO!"

* * *

Writer's note: Sorry i didn't upload yesterday, when i went to do so last night the site wasn't loading whatsoever.

If you find any edits, let me know…i'm really tired right now haha


	16. Chapter 16

**All rights to Veronica Roth…I own nothing.**

* * *

"TRIS!" I yell at her , " TRIS OPEN YOUR EYES AND LOOK AT ME! TRIS IT'S TOBIAS! TOBIAS!"

She stops flailing about with her arms over her face. Her breath is heavy and I can feel her heart is racing through the pulse in her arms. Slowly, so slowly it hurts, she lowers her arms. Suddenly her eyes meet mine for the first time. A pang of pain surges through my body. I go so dizzy I'm afraid of fainting but I hold on to her. Looking her right in the eyes. I have to give her time.

Her eyebrows squish together like she is examining me. She brings one of her arms towards my face and I let go. Ever so gently she reaches up and touches my lip. I flash back to doing the same thing after I had rescued her from Peter, Al and Drew. I smile and she pulls back opening her eyes as wide as she can.

" Tobias?" she croaks.

I feel a smile grow straight across my mouth and fill my face, "That a girl!" I say, " There you are!"

She cups her hands to my face and just stares at me. She swallows hard, " You look different… "

I can't tell her of course I look different. My muscle tone is basically gone now and I have a thinner frame. She takes one of her hands and slides it down my face. Her eyes follow her hand and she watching my breathing for a few minutes, completely silent. I lean down and put my mouth to her gently. I have missed kissing her so much that I feel tears streaming down my cheeks.

A beep goes off somewhere in the room and I know it's my timer. Matthew gave me strict instructions on giving the drugs to her in such a way that she comes off of them. I kiss her hands and stand getting the injection ready. Suddenly I hear a gasp. I turn and she's holding her belly and staring wildly.

" Tris?" I ask, getting the needle ready, " What's wrong?"

As I cross the room back to her she starts to hyperventilate.

" Where is it? Where did it go?" she cries out

" Where did what go?" She has me panicked now. Did I forget to get something at the lab?

" The baby? Where did the baby go?" She frantically strips the bedding from her body and pulls her shirt up. " Where is it?"

" Tris what baby? There is no baby!"

"Our baby!" She cries, " Our baby! It was right here; you were touching it! Where is it?"

Suddenly, I'm flooded by several different thoughts. Abe had told me that while in the tank she was under simulation and that it wasn't a fear one. Her simulation was our lives together! We were making a family. I feel my face get hot again. This is what Matthew was afraid of. She woke up from her simulation, the only thing she knew for 2 years, thinking that it had been real life. I can feel my heart breaking. I have to act quickly.

" Tris!" I shake her, " Listen. I need you to sleep! Don't worry, I'll take care of the baby but I need you to sleep!"

She still screams so I have to hold her down and give her an injection. I stretch her neck out and place the metal to her skin, and plunge the needle into her. I've done this so many times to her I could do this blind folded at this point. Within seconds I see her eyes start to close and she grows still.

" Tobias..." she whispers.

" I'm right here Tris!" I reassure her, " I'm going to be right here when you wake up I promise!"

The next 24 hours are touch and go for us. She wakes up every so often. Some times she is screaming and fighting me, and some times she caresses my face and tells me she loves me. When I see her awaken, I don't know who I am going to meet. This lasts well into the night and the next morning. The drug injection she gets at 11 am puts her down for a few hours. I decide it's best I eat something.

I walk into the kitchen and start to cook for myself. I'm not really good at it, but I'm learning. I find myself stuck somewhere between common Dauntless meals and simple abnegation food. I cook myself some plain chicken and some hot rice. I sit at the table and take my first bite, when there's a quiet knock on the door. I peak in on Beatrice to make sure she's resting peacefully first. Peering though the peephole, I see Matthew outside. I wipe my hand off on my jeans and open the door.

I see him smiling and I know it's a friendly visit.

" How's it going?" I ask as he enters.

" I was just about to ask the same thing!" He jokes. " How is she?"

" Exactly as you suspected." I tell him. I make a nod to the table and he follows, sitting across from me. I take a bite and make a gesture for him to have some but he shakes his head.

" Well she woke up for starters. " I say, chewing.

" And?" He pries, " how did that go?"

" She seemed animalistic at first. Disorientated. Then she calmed a bit."

" Did she..." He quiets himself, " Did she recognize you?"

" Once I calmed her down. I think the first few minutes she was within her own head still." I can tell what he's about to ask and answer first, " She was happy to see me. She touched me, let me kiss her."

Saying that lifts a weight off of my chest. It's a little easier to breathe now. I shovel in the last bite of my chicken into my mouth. I probably ate too quickly, but I want to be prepared if she wakes up.

"Is that it?" Matthew asks, getting up and grabbing a bottle of beer out of the fridge for both of us. He cracks them open and hands me one. I nod in thanks.

" Yeah. You were right about the simulation. She freaked the fuck out. Started grabbing at her stomach. " I tell him, taking a sip and looking across the room, " She kept asking where the baby went…"

I hear my voice carry off at the end of that sentence.

He thinks for a second, his fingers to his mouth. " Well," He says, " Abe DID say the simulation would be perfect for her. It was what she would never have with you. A future."

My heart aches. But before I can dwell I hear a noise in the other room. I jump up and run to the door. She's tossing in her sleep. I take my place next to her on the bed and wait. She brings her hand to her face and turns over, falling back asleep.

I stay for a minute or two, watching her then I get up and rejoin Matthew.

" She'll be okay!' He reassures me. " Just stick the regiment I gave you. Today you have to drop down 10mg. You are going to do this every day until their gone."

" Yeah, yeah." I tell him, " I remember."

* * *

Writer's notes: I don't want anyone to think i'm brushing over her detoxification. A real drug detox o this magnitude would take quite a while, but for the sake of the story i'm shortening it. otherwise it would just be 5 chapters of Tobias sitting by a bed, trapped in his own head with his thoughts. Sounds fun, but daunting. anywho, enjoy!


	17. Chapter 17

**All rights to Veronica Roth…..I own nothing.**

* * *

Two men are speaking in a darkened room. One the floor, shattered glass and water mixes everywhere. There is a few lightbulbs still attached to the frame of the tank that flicker, making the scene unfolding ominous.

" Do we know how they found out about the lab?" David asks, his hands folded under his chin.

"No, Sir." A man standing next to him answers. He wears a security uniform and keeps his head down. He keeps his tone flat and precise.

" Do we know how they found out about her?" David presses.

"No, Sir." The guard says, still looking at his feet.

David begins to get angrier, his face turning red, he grips the arms of his wheelchair." Do we know anything?"

" We know how they got in. " the guard jumps to attention, able to answer him finally. Although he never meets David's eyes.

"Oh? How's that?" David asks, his demeanor changing.

" They entered through the buildings main entrance upstairs at street level. It appears that they just…" The guard stutters, "That they just walked in."

"And whose fault is that?"

" Robert the evening guard at the front desk." The guard says, pointing to a man they hold in custody just outside the room. David waves his hand, beaconing the man forward.

David addresses the man, "Robert, do you now how to shoot a gun?"

" Yes I do, Sir!" Robert answers, standing as straight as possible.

" I don't think you do, give it here." And without another word he passes his gun to him. Before anyone can react, David puts one in the chamber. Without a word he aims it at Robert's chest and pulls the trigger. Robert never makes a sound until his old body his the floor. It's like all the air in his lungs escapes at once. Everyone just stares at David, who simply says, "That's how you shoot a gun! Get rid of the body! I have a call to make!"

A short time later David sits in an office alone. Pulling a tablet from a large leather bag and putting it into his lap. With a heavy sigh, he swipes the tablet and a beep sounds.

" What do you know?" Evelyn says, the anger in her voice may have well have been a stinger into David's forehead, because as soon as she said it, he squinted and braced his head in his hands.

" Not much, unfortunately. At least three people, they came and got her. Destroyed the lab while they were at it. Thankfully we lost nothing aside from her. All the data is there we think."

" I'm not happy David!" Evelyn says dryly.

" Yeah, well, ya know what, Evelyn?" David barks, " I'm not exactly dancing in my fucking boots now am I?"

" Do we have any idea who they were?" Evelyn asks him, pressing her face closer to the camera, as if to make it a poignant statement.

" Not yet. We have camera feed but someone had hacked into our systems and scrambled it. It seems the hack had come from in house and it had happened after they had already entered the premises. Once that's up and running, I'll let you know."

David takes a second and touches the bridge of his nose. " Do you think that your son would have anything to do with this?"

For a moment Evelyn sat there looking at him, then through pursed lips she tells him, "At this time, I have no reason to suspect Tobias. I don't think so, he's forgetting about her. But to be honest I have no idea. Do some clean up. I'll be back in three weeks!"

David opens his mouth to speak but she cuts him off, " NO! I can't come back sooner. That's when the next serum will be ready and I cannot leave until then. FIX THIS!"

She yells so loud that the speaker on the tablet jostles. With that she's gone, and the screen is black.

For a while David just sits alone in his office when he wheels himself to the windows behind his desk. He stares off into the city, his eyes shifting lazily over the shapes of the skyline. His hands grip the windowsill and slowly he grits his teeth, baring them all. Letting out a primal yell, David throws his hands outward, shoving various book and a planter from the sill ledge. Once everything becomes still again, the only noise that can be heard is his steady panicked breathing. Suddenly he stops, looking up and out the window again. His face is no longer angry, but in awe, as if a thought has just crossed his mind.

" Don't count your son out of this just yet."

* * *

Writer's note: Sorry yet again for a short chapter, but i feel like chapters in a story shouldn't have a set length. I've read everything from Harry Potter to A game of thrones…and i'll tell ya…some chapters at 15 pages and some are 3….:)


	18. Chapter 18

**All rights to Veronica Roth….I own nothing.**

* * *

It's late in the afternoon and there is a knock on my door. On my way to answer it I look in and see Beatrice is sleeping soundly. I open the door to see Zeke and Christina standing in my hall, smiling like assholes.

" What's going on my friends?" I ask suspiciously with a laugh.

" Pack your shit! You're moving!" Christina smiles

I stare at them and my mouth goes flat, " What do you mean?"

" What's not to get?" Zeke laughs " I find it an easy enough principle to understand!"

I stare them down and realize neither of them is joking.

" But..." I chirp up, " We can't move Tris like this! She's in no state..."

" AH HA!" Christina jumps, " That's why we brought this!" And out from the hall from where I cannot see she pulls a folding wheelchair.

" Look, See!" she said, unfolding it, " Easy transportation!"

I sigh heavily, wave my arm and they both trail in, Christina pushing the wheelchair and making quiet train noises. I notice, once I close the door behind them, that Zeke has a few large bags with him. I guess they're serious.

" So why the sudden move?" I ask, following them into the living room.

" Well see, I did some thinking the other day after we left here. Anyone who can get to Tris' file is going to see your name all over it. You're linked, and you're easily findable!" Zeke says, "so I talked to Christina and we did some searching and found an empty place near us in the Hancock building. I know heights are not your cup of tea, but you'll be safe and close by if you need us!"

" There is one catch though!" Christina adds, touching my elbow, " You can't really go anywhere! See, once we get you in, you have to stay hidden for a while."

" I..." I want to fight the idea, but they are so right it bothers me. " I guess I have no choice!"

For the next twenty minutes we scatter. I collect all of the clothes I can and pile them into one of the bags Zeke hands me. While I do this Christina gathers up all of Beatrice's items. Keeping them closed tight, she drops them into a smaller bag. Zeke on the other hand empties my gun closet. He whistles while he deposits them all into the bag he carries. Thankfully it doesn't take us long to collect my life up, I didn't have a lot other than clothes. The last thing I take is Beatrice's empty urn and her photo. I don't need them anymore but I take them anyways.

Carefully I pick her up from the bed and sit her into the wheel chair and wrap her up in a blanket. When we walk out all I leave behind is the food in my fridge and my bedding.

When I walk out I leave the keys on the counter, and turn off the lights.

* * *

"So what floor am I on?" I ask as we roll into the front lobby.

" Well there are only a few places available. So we put you on Christina's floor."

I look over and give her a look, " Ninety-fifth!" She says with a smile.

" Fuck me." I breathe, stepping into the elevator. " I fucking hate you both."

As the doors shut they both stifle their laughter so as to not wake up Beatrice.

We roll down a long blue hallway and finally come to a black door at the end with the number 3450 on it.

" Home sweet home!" Zeke says, handing me the keys.

With a chest weight of apprehension I unlock the door and step in. The apartment is beautiful. The carpets are gunmetal grey and the walls are slate colored. It has the sense of a simple Abnegation home, but with a warm cave like Dauntless feel. There's a large kitchen and a living room with a small fireplace.

" Kitchen is all stocked! I went out shopping this morning!" Christina chimes, smiling and putting her hands in her pockets.

I smile and walk into the bedroom. There's a large bed with all the pillows and blankets we could ever need. Finally I find the bathroom and discover a tub big enough for at least several people. I turn around and they are wheeling Beatrice into the bedroom to me. Carefully I lift her up and place her in bed, while Christina covers her. I look at my watch, "She should be waking up soon, you know, if you want to stay…" I tell them.

" Not yet, " She tells me, " She needs you for now. We'll come later."

They bid their farewells and head on down the hall towards their own homes.

Walking back into the bedroom I finally catch the windows. It's a horrific site. I immediately imagine myself tripping and falling out. I guess I'll have to just stay away from the windows for a while. I start snooping around and find that Christina had gone out and gotten a bunch of clothes for Beatrice as well. I take out a pair of soft cotton black pants and a pair of underwear, seeing though she'd been wearing mine this whole time.

I walk to the bed and pull back the blanket to expose her lower half. I remain a gentleman and look into her eyes as I pull down my boxers from her body and slide on the pair I had taken out for her. I get as far as putting her legs into the pants and I'm just about to pull them up when she stirs.

First she moans, but then she forms words and calls out for me.

" Four?"

I take her hands in mine, " I'm right here Tris! I'm right here!"

That was the last coherent thing she said for the next six days. She goes through stages of withdrawal. The first three days are the worst. She shivers but she sweats. I can no longer force feed her. If she isn't crying, then she's screaming and throwing up. Her body is so tough! She's fighting so hard. This scares me. She managed to fight off the death serum, but not this. The best I figure is that they found the right mixture to over power her. I suppose that's why they placed her in a happy simulation; it kept her guard down.

On the 6th day, everything changed...

* * *

Writer's note: Since I won't be going into a lot of detail about it i'll just explain here…What they basically did was realize that in order to bring her down, keep her under their control they needed to overload her. The human body is a machine, working with itself to keep everything in order. To over come the death serum her body put all it's effort in. but that was just one serum. By overloading her system it was just too much for her body to handle at once, and it basically shut down. went into standby mode. i took experiences from other people and even from myself about the dangers of prescription meds when i was dreaming up this scene…...


	19. Chapter 19

**All rights to Veronica Roth…..I own nothing.**

* * *

I am sitting in the kitchen, eating some stew Shawna had made. Seems Zeke had finally broken the news to her, now that we were living so close to each other. I get up and put my bowl in the sink when I hear a groan from the other room.

"_What_?_ Tobias_?!"

I take off running.

When I make it to the bedroom I see that she's sitting up, straight up, staring at her hands. Matthew had come a few days ago and helped me hook up an IV to her arm, since she wasn't awake long enough to eat. I take a step forward and her head flips up to me. She stares, a little too long, but I say nothing. I don't want to scare her, and Matthew had warned me how hard this might turn out.

" Tobias?!" She whimpers. I watch as tears fall from her eyes and down the front of her shirt.

I leap onto the end of the bed and sit next to her.

"I'm here! I'm right here!" I tell her, taking her hand.

She smiles at me and leans towards me and kisses my lips fully. I feel my body explode when she reaches up and touches my neck. Suddenly she winces and I look, she's pulled her IV.

" What is this?" She asks and I see her expression change.

" It's an IV. Do you remember Matthew?" I ask her. I watch as her face lights up a little and she nods with recognition.

"Matthew came by and helped me put it in. See you were sick, and we were making you better, but you couldn't eat. So we had to put it in so you could get something in your system."

" Can we take it out?" She asks quietly, touching it.

" Yeah! Of course!" I say.

She watches as I carefully peel the tape off and pull the IV out. Setting it to the side, I hold the area tightly while I reach for a bandage from the drawer next to her.

" Where are we?" She asks looking around, " I haven't been here before, have I? I feel confused." She lightly touches her fingertips to her forehead like she's trying to clear her mind.

I put the bandage on her open wound, "No." I tell her, " This is new for us. I used to live somewhere else. But this belongs to us now. Both of us." I say, looking into her eyes. It's amazing how her eyes make my knees feel so weak.

She stares off into space for a while, not saying much. " I feel really gross, can I get cleaned up?" She finally says.

" Do you want to take a shower? I can help you take one!" I tell her.

She nods and grabs onto my arm. Slowly we rise from the bed. She's too weak and she falls into my arms.

" I don't know if this is going to work." She says, putting all of her weight into me.

" It's okay!" I tell her, lifting her and leading her into the bathroom, " Look there's a bathtub!"

I leave it dark in there but light a few of the candles that Christina had left for me. I let the water get reasonably hot. She acts like it's nothing, but I still won't look at her as I undress her and lower her into the water. I even catch her glancing at me as I take my clothes off and climb in with her. We don't say anything for a few minutes; we just sort of look at each other and enjoy the water. Reaching across, we lightly let our fingertips touch.

"Do you remember anything?" I ask her, my curiosity is killing me. I won't be able to help her heal unless we deal with this.

" Some. I remember you. I remember telling you I love you. I remember the realization that the death serum wasn't working on me. Not much after that. Until…" she gets a little quiet, running her hand through her hair, " I was having this dream. We were living in this amazing home and I think I was pregnant. I assume since you kept rubbing my belly. We were happy."

I look down into the water at my hand now holding hers.

" What happened to me?" she asks. She sounds like a child. I remember once listening to her talk like this. I gather myself.

" I'm not really sure how to begin this. You've been asleep. For a long time." I watch her eyes get a little wider, " For two years." She grips my hand so tight it actually hurts me. I reach out and touch her face. " Whoa, whoa! I know. It's tough, but there is so much more that you have to know!"

I start from the beginning. I tell her all about Abe and David, the tank and the testing. I tell her about the drugs and how sick she had been for the last week as I was helping her get better.

" How did you get me out? How did you do all of this?" she asks.

" With Zeke and Christina." I tell her, and immediately she smiles and clutches my hand again

" Do I get to see them?" She asks so full of joy and glee her face stretches into a huge smile.

" Of course! They actually live here too! Right in this building." I tell her and she lets out a squeal of delight. She laughs a little, but then I watch as her smile levels out.

" I have one more question." She tells me, looking into me deeper than she ever has, " Why did it take you so long to come and get me?"

" This is the hard part." I tell her taking a heavy breath, " I went to Evelyn, I got the war settled. I had found peace. When we got back I found the entire place in ruins. You had been shot twice. By David no less! They led me into a room, and you were lying on a metal bed covered in a sheet. They told me you didn't survive. I've lived the last two years believing you were dead. I had you cremated."

I look up and there are tears streaming down her face, " Oh my god!" Her expression changes quickly, " It's not here is it?" If it is get rid of it now!"

" The urn is here. " I say glancing back towards the door, " But it's empty. I didn't really know what to do with it."

" Why is it empty? Did you take me back to Dauntless or something?" She asks, her lips smirking a little.

" No actually!" I crack a smile, " I rode the zip line and dumped it over the city!"

Her eyes get wide and she stifles a laugh, " No you didn't! Did you really? Why would you do that?"

There was a time when I would have kept things like this to myself. I remember when I first realized how I felt about her that I was unsure of letting her know. She was my other half now, my reason to be. Without hesitation I tell her." Because I love you! I have loved you since the first moment I saw you, and I will continue to love you until the day I die. Who knows, maybe longer!"

She leans forward taking my chin in her hands and kisses me. It's gentle at first, then hard, but so beautiful. She sits up and turns herself around, laying her back against my chest. I immediately wrap my arms around her, keeping her close. Her body feels so right with mine. Absent mindedly, she runs her fingertips up and down my hands. Even in this warm water, she gives me goose bumps.

I lean my head down, resting it on hers. I take a deep breath and breathe her into me.

" What is it?" She asks me, turning her face to the side to see me better. She stuns me.

" I thought I would never see you again." I tell her in earnest. "I was really bad off for a long time. I wasn't sleeping. I hardly ate. Some nights I would pray to die just so I could be with you, wherever you were. It was very dark. Darker than I've ever been."

She swiftly turns around and sits on my lap, facing me, " I'm right here Tobias!" she says, placing her hand to my heart, " I'm right _here_!"

I can't help myself. Reaching up I grab the back of her neck and draw her into me, closing my mouth around hers. I feel like my heart is going to explode as she traces her hands town my chest to my sides. Slowly I feel her lift up, and then down, pressing her pelvis into me. Before I can stop myself, I let out a small moan. She pulls her head back from me and stares into my eyes. There's yearning there. Her mouth parts and I hear her exhale. There's a heat in me I cannot control. Reaching up, I grab her shoulders behind her back and she lays back into them revealing her neck to me. My body wants me to be fast, consuming, but I fight it off. I push myself to go slow, to show her what this means to me. I kiss the spot right below her ear, making my way slowly down her neck to her collarbone. One of her hands grasps my neck and the other runs through my hair, tugging it just a little.

I moan again. I feel like I'm out of my body, watching it all happen from above. It's a heavenly experience and I am on the verge of crying out in emotion. There's a moment where I come back to myself and realize what's happening. I try to get a grip on myself. There was a time when this was too much for her. I refuse to push her into something she isn't ready for. That she may even be scared of. I pull her back a little. I watch her eye widen and look at me in bewilderment.

"What is it?" she asks, " What's wrong?"

" Nothing." I say, shaking my head, " I just don't want to push you, scare you."

She kisses me quickly. " I'm not scared anymore." She breathes, " I'm ready."

I feel my heart pounding out of my chest.

"I'm ready!" She whispers, grabbing both sides of my head, kissing me deeply, "Tobias! Let me be yours!"

There comes a moment in everyone's lives when our world ends. When life as we know it stops and we have to rethink our entire being. It comes at the most interesting at times and it shatters us. It brings us to our knees and rattles our existence. When every cell in your body explodes into every direction at once and it's a miracle we managed to keep ourselves together. This is that moment. It was the single most profound moment of my life. We made love. We became one.

We lie in bed that night and hold on to each other. She curls herself into my shoulder, resting her hand on my chest.

"Please never go away again." I say. It's childish, I know it is. But I can't stop myself from saying it.

"Never again!" She promises, holding me tighter.

When I wake up the next morning, she's still there.

" Hey!" She says, looking up to me. Her voice is gentle and her voice is full of sleep.

" Hey!" I say, my eyes squinted in the sunlight. I reach up, rubbing the bridge of my nose and try to focus. When I do, she's smiling at me. I am the luckiest man alive.

" So I guess I'm really hungry…" She says, biting her lip at me.

I hop up grabbing some pants. " Well alright then!" I say, " Eggs it is!" I turn from her and pull up a pair of black sweatpants. I see her staring at me, and I raise an eyebrow.

" I forgot how beautiful you were." She tells me, " How beautiful your ink is."

I turn and give her one more kiss, and head into the kitchen. There is this handy little box next to the door that lets me communicate with other apartments within the building. I pick up the receiver and press the buttons 3520 and wait.

" Hello?" I hear Christina answer

" Hey! It's me!" I say, " You busy? Want some breakfast?"

"Sure! I'll be right over!"

I hang up and head back into our room. I stand by the door and watch her for a minute. She's sitting up in bed touching her fingers to her hands. My best guess is she is testing reality. She plays with her hair a little. Unsure of what to do with it she lets out a huff noise.

" What's the matter?" I ask her, making my presence known. I cross the room and sit near her. She smiles as I push her hair out of her eyes. She pulls the blanket up around her body a little closer.

" Cold?" I ask, smiling.

" Yeah." She nods, " You got out of bed and took all the warmth with you I suppose. Got anything for me to wear?"

I turn myself where I sit and pounce myself off the bed. I start pulling open drawers until I find what I'm looking for. I find a t-shirt, socks and a pair of sweatpants and toss them towards her. I come across another drawer for her and toss back a bra and underwear. I hear her giggle when she catches them.

I lead her out to the kitchen and help her to a seat. She still isn't at full health and will need my help for a while. Thankfully Matthew should be stopping by today or tomorrow and will give us a definite answer on that.

A few short moments later I hear a small knock on the door.

" Who's that?" Tris says, sitting at the table.

I give her a wink and head to the door, and fling it open.

" Hey! What's going..."

Before Christina can finish her sentence, she looks past me and sees Tris sitting there. For a second they look like spooked animals. Then Christina takes off running towards her, arms open, screaming with joy. By the time she reaches her they are both sobbing.

There's a moment where it all goes silent and they pull away and look at each other. I watch as unspoken words are passed back and forth. It comes to me that Tris doesn't have her full memory back just yet, and maybe she doesn't remember patching up things with her. Suddenly the silence breaks.

" I'm so sorry!" Tris says, holding Christina's hands in front of her, " I'm so sorry about..."

" Don't!" Christina cuts her off. She takes her hands from Tris and places them on her face. Christina stares at her for a second and then her slightly flat mouth cracks, and falls low. She chokes out a sob and lowers her face. When she brings it up again it is bright red and tears are streaming down her cheeks. " Please," She can hardly speak, " Don't ever apologize again. I just…I missed you so much!"

They embrace again

I quietly shut the door.

* * *

Writers note: a nice fat juicy chapter for ya :D

I'm taking second to address a user who has left me a review but doesn't allow me to respond. To BROSKIDOSKI…first of all..I am a woman, not a bro… and i'd appreciate it if you stopped referring to me as such. second of all…i appreciate everyone's comments and reviews and even criticism. I am NOT trying to find an explanation for Tobias " ending her sim"….he saved her for true and Buttercup TRUE LOVE. Her life was stolen away and She was being tested on and he wanted to rescue her. i'm sorry if you feel other wise but it's as simple as that. If you want to contribute, make yourself reachable via private message so i don't have to take up room on my story for things like this. thank you.


	20. Chapter 20

**All rights to Veronica Roth..I own nothing**

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- TRIS-

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It's early. The sun is orange and making it's way across the city. There's just enough coming through the bedroom windows for me to see. My eyes trace his jaw line, as it slightly clenches while he sleeps. I ever so gently reach forward and place my hands near his chest. Making sure I won't wake him, I get close enough to feel him breathing.

Two years! Two years I was gone and to me it feels like not a day different. It's hard to wrap my brain around that idea. I close my eyes and try to sleep, but it's useless. Every time I drift off, I dream of the strangest thing. It's always the same: a blue light and voices. I can never make out what they're saying because it sounds so muffled and distorted. It's like they speak with their hands covering their mouths. I lie there thinking things over and over and yet I never exhaust myself.

I decide to get up for some water. Cautiously I slide out of bed, letting Tobias' left arm that had been draped over me, slump to the bed. When I finally am standing upright I hear him moan in his sleep, grasping the pillow to his chest and turning over. He's so peaceful.

Entering the kitchen, I go to the cabinet and retrieve a glass from it. I still am not at full strength and use the counter and walls to steady myself.

" Two years." I say, filling my cup with water. As I sip it slowly, as still per Matthew's instructions, I wander the apartment.

I pass the table, where I find Tobias' coat thrown. I let my fingers graze over the detail, trying to memorize every stitch. I grasp it and bring it to my face. I breathe in his smell and I am entranced. I may not have conscious memory of the past two years but a part of me must. Because when I take in the smell of his jacket I realized I've missed it.

I take a seat by the window and watch as the city becomes enveloped by the sun. I am numb to the fact that this is possible. When I had made the split second decision to give my life for our cause, I had accepted it. I was okay with it. I knew what I was doing. But now, I find myself unsure. If I hadn't given my life then David wouldn't have taken me and used me for his own agenda. I could have had two years living in peace with Tobias. The idea crushes me. I feel my hand reach my chest, holding it still as I sip more water.

I find myself conflicted. I know what I did was brave and it was selfless. I gave myself up. And I was taken away and used as a lab rat. I feel an anger building up inside of me that I have not felt in a long time.

" David you piece of shit!" I whisper to myself. Then I stop and think. David. Tobias had told me that he was told that David was given a memory scrub. So what happened? Either David fought his way through it, or it never happened.

I sit back in my chair for a moment. That's a rather heavy thought. As much as I hate troubling him, I realize I'm going to have to address this with Tobias.

Tobias. How it must have been for him thinking I was dead. No, not even that. I know him. He would have been okay. He knows me and who I am. But to find out I had been alive this whole time.

I think back to his discussion with Evelyn. The one he doesn't know I overheard. When he realized she had been alive after all those years, he wasn't happy. He was resentful. He hated his mother for leaving him with Marcus.

I know this is nothing like that situation, but I cannot help but process it the same. I wonder what he felt to learn about me. Would he see me as a hero who attempted to save those she loved and ended up captured and experimented on. Or was I a weakling recruit who fucked up and got caught.

" Don't be crazy." I tell myself, shaking my head.

I stand up giving myself a deep breath, and head back to bed. Tobias is laying arms spread open on his stomach, so the sun kisses his back. I smile and lifting the sheet, sliding myself in next to him. With a slightly scruffy noise, he turns over. His eyes are squinting heavily but he manages to catch me and smile.

" Hey there!" He says wrapping his arms around my shoulders. Gently he kisses my skin. " What time is it?"

" Early." I tell him. I run my hands up his arms. They're so strong around my small frame. " Sun hasn't been up long."

" Is everything alright?" He asks, picking his head up a little.

I want to tell him I'm fine, but when I look into his eyes I lose myself. I can't lie to him and brush this away. " We started talking in the bathroom about what happened while I was gone. You said you fell apart. That's not you. Not the YOU I remember. You're so strong, Tobias. So strong! What happened?

I regret asking immediately.

He looks me over for a moment, narrowing his eyes. It's slightly uncomfortable, like he's examining me. Before he says anything he raises his hand and lightly touches his fingertips to my face. He starts at my cheekbones and moves to the tip of my nose, then down to my lips.

" I told everyone, including myself, that I was fine. And for the better part of a lie, I was. I understood what you had done, and why. And over the months following it all became more clear as my initial shock wore off. All that destructive behavior I saw in you, it was really just your inner tapped bravery. You moved without borders. It was brave and selfless. Dauntless and Abnegation. Divergent! It had made sense. I understood, but it hurt. I had experienced pain in my life, far too much than anyone should. But this…this was something I could hardly bear. I never had anyone I could rely on before. I spent all personal time by myself, locked away in my own mind. And then you came and you shook everything I knew to the core. I broke and you showed me how to put myself together again. Losing you was so hard. I had a brave face on the outside. Getting a new job and finding myself a place in this world. But at night, at night I was a wreck. I yearned for you to the point of hallucination. Christina gave me a picture…"

Reaching over his other side, he opens a small table and pulls out a framed drawing. He hands it to me and I am taken aback.

" Just shortly after. After you were gone." He continues, staring me down hard. " You are everything to me. You are my blood, you are my air, you are my strength to wake up every morning and live that day through. And since finding out that you were out there somewhere, this is all I have been living for. Finding you. Bringing you home. I lost my job. I haven't even spoken to my mother! Time has stopped for us."

" I love you, Tobias. " I tell him, pulling him in as close as I can.

He doesn't respond. He doesn't need to. We both know I didn't say it to hear it back. I said it because I wanted him to hear it. To make everything he had just said that much more substantial.

"So… was the job any good?"

" No, not really." He says raising an eyebrow, " I held a spot that's all. I was on my way to something bigger, probably, I really don't know. Mostly I sat on a committee that was looking for new ways to run the city. Trying to find ways to manage us all as fractionless. We made some steps in a positive direction. It appealed to me, but it never really held me like my command post in Dauntless. Although, I had an attractive secretary that Zeke kept trying to get me to date."

" What a _dick_." I laugh.

" He _is_ a dick." He smiles.

* * *

Writer's note: I know i know. Sorry it took me so long to post a new chapter. I have had a busy few days and i hit a dead lock for a little while trying to figure something pivotal out for my story. I decided i wanted to put this chapter in Tris' view because as much as he wants to, Tobias will never fully know what is going on in her head. The demons she's dealing with "coming back to life". these next two chapters might be a little flakey but they will hold important information and then i promise, it'll pick back up…so please :) stick with me through it :D


	21. Chapter 21

**All rights to Veronica Roth…I own nothing**

* * *

After several more days, the full weight of our confinement has hit us. Originally I assumed we would be able to at least leave the apartment and travel to Christina's or Zeke's. Apparently I was wrong. They said no leaving and they meant no leaving. We try everything we can think of. We spend a lot of time just talking, telling stories we find interesting. I find a deck of cards and teach her every game i know. When we're done, we make up a few of our own. We even attempted to make a cake, with horrible results. Over the last nine days I've watched her progress wonderfully. She can walk by herself now but running isn't an option. Her muscles weren't used for so long that she's fairly out of shape and gets winded easily. Every day we spend about an hour training. At least this gives me a reason to get back in shape too. She does well. Her biggest problem right now is flexibility. She finds it hard to reach out for things and bending down. That will take time though. I notice she's sleeping a little better now too, usually passing out before me.

Today she's intrigued by all I've found out about the outside world. I tell her about the cities I've learned about the people I've met. Her eyes light up when I tell her about the pictures my mom sent from her trips south.

" What will we do?" She asks me very abruptly, tucking her hair behind her ears. It's unkempt and wildly uneven, but her beauty stuns me.I look at her from across the dinner table. She's put her fork down and looking at me intently.

" When?" I ask, scanning my brain for something we may have talked about that I may not be remembering.

" When this is over. Whatever this is. When we can leave this house, what will we do?" She explains. " Are we planning an attack on David, or are we going to run, make a life somewhere else?"

She gives me a lot to think about. Honestly I hadn't contemplated all of this. My main concern was getting her to safety. I hadn't really formulated a second part of the plan.

" I guess, " I begin, taking my time picking my words, " I hadn't really thought about that. Although, now that you bring it up, I'm not sure it would be safe for us here. But that would all depend on if David comes after us. Not only that but how far up this goes. I mean the bureau used to basically sit over us like a big brother, so there is no telling. If it does though, if this is something THAT in depth, I think it'd be best to leave. For our safety, for our future."

Even as I say it I find it hard to believe. We have never really been outside of Chicago. Sure, I have heard stories about the rest of the world but they're only stories. I have nothing tangible to offer her. I realize now how heavy of a question mark that is hovering over us.

" David." She says, leaning a little closer, " You told me he had been given the memory serum, so what happened?"

I look off into the city, " I really don't know. I'm going to have to get in touch with Matthew and see what he can find out. I'm not sure what is more unnerving. The idea that he's fought through the serum or that he was never given it and we were lied to."

She looks at me as if she had been thinking the same thing.

"What if it's the latter?" She asks. I can see behind her eyes she's worried. There really is no telling what we're getting ourselves into.

" If he was never given it? Well then, we have a huge problem on our hands. That might mean we have more to worry about than just David. That would probably bring several more people in to factor. We don't know very much about these outsiders. Sure I know Matthew but I wouldn't fetch a guess at his problem solving methods or his reasoning. They live in a different world than us, and because of such they think vastly different then we do. Right now we have to see David as a very bad problem, and everyone else outside these walls as one big wildcard. It's best if we stick to what we know and WHO we know. Trust no one else without just cause."

She gets up and sits next to me, resting her head in the nook of my shoulder and neck. I wrap my arm around her and she takes my hand, absentmindedly running her fingertips on my wrist.

" I wonder what it's like out there?" She finally says after sometime, " I wonder what it's like to actually see it all. There must be such wonderful things to see."

" I'm sure there is!" I tell her, kissing her temple and resting my cheek on the crown of her head. I drift off day dreaming of this. The amazing photos my mother had sent. Beautiful green forests that last for miles. Places where the water seems to spread all the way to the edge of the world. I'd love to take Beatrice to these places. Experience them together. Maybe one day. For now, I really must get in touch with Matthew.

Gathering the last bit of strength i reach over and grab a small pocket sized tablet that Matthew had given me and press the button with his name on it. There are several bell noises and a female voice answers.

" Hello?" She says.

" Hello. Yes. I am trying to get in touch with Matthew. Is this.."

" Matthew is not in right now, Sir. Would you like to leave a message for me to pass on to him?"

" Yeah just tell him that Tobias tried to get in contact with him, and that it's rather important, that would be great! It's nothing serious, just important."

" I will be sure to pass that on, Sir. Have a nice afternoon!"

Before I can say anything she is gone. I had originally thought this only went to Matthew. I never knew he had someone working for him.

" Well, " I say, putting the tablet on the floor, " That was weird."

"What is it?" Beatrice asks me, touching my chin with her forehead.

" Nothing." I say, " Just. Matthew said this was a direct link to him, seems silly someone else would pick up."

" I'm sure he's okay." She comforts me, " Maybe he was in the bathroom or something."

" Yeah i suppose so. "

* * *

Writer's note: yes yet again we find ourselves with a short chapter. Sorry about that. This is the second of three chapters that I'm going to just call FILLER. So even if you don't like this particular chapter it's okay, it's just to give you some info that will come into play later on.


	22. Chapter 22

**All rights to Veronica Roth…I own nothing**

* * *

It's dark out. Only a little light enters the windows from the streetlamps below. In a very empty room sits a small wooden desk with a woman sitting behind it. She flips through papers and taps a pencil on the palm of her hand.

" Evelyn?" A voice emits from a small black box on the end of the desk. " Evelyn? Dr. Prattier is here to see you."

Without looking up Evelyn answer, " Send him in, please!"

A moment later and the heavy wooden door opens and in walks a rather small man with rather large glasses.

" Dr. Prattier!" Evelyn smiles, standing to greet him, " What can I do for you today?"

" I have those results you asked for, Ma'am!"

Quick footed but clumsily he crosses to her desk and hands her an envelope. With another smile she graciously takes it and flips it open. With her finger she scans the documents, carefully reading everything. When he finishes, her face drops a little.

Slowly she raises her chin to the doctor, " What does this mean?"

" Don't get discouraged! It doesn't mean what you think it means!" He says, in a rush. " She's perfect. Everything turned out as expected! You have exactly what you were hoping for!"

" But what's this last page?" She says, toss a paper in his direction.

" This is what I expect you are worried about! It's nothing to fear! There's a void in D1's code. It's a genetically inherited void. They had found it in previous tests but never made much note of it because they felt it bore no significance. For several months now we have done testing, so much testing! And we believe it to be something more! While D1 is genetically perfect, this void could make it the greatest discovery yet! Just think of it! No more illness, no more disease. We believe we could nearly stop the aging process. All we would have to do is have D1 procreate. "

" And what am I supposed to do with that?" Evelyn asks, obviously angered by the man and his abundance of information." This all sounds like a fairy tale! _Stop the aging process!_ You sound like David now."

" We were only thinking, " The man says, trembling, " That is, if it were at all possible. If we could extract and egg and fertilize it, it would fill the minor void. Look at all we've done with D1's genes! Imagine the possibilities. We don't know what that one piece of void does." He nearly pleads with Evelyn.

Evelyn throws her head back and swings her chair around, as to no longer face the doctor. " Well that's out of the question. D1 is gone. I won't know more until I return home. "

" Yes. " Dr. Prattier says, bowing his head a little, " Just something to keep in mind if you were to discover the whereabouts of it."

" So noted. " She says, still facing the wall, " Is that all?"

" No, Ma'am. I have a supply of test serum for David to examine. If you could give these to him when you see him that would wonderful. Just tell him that if he has any questions to contact us. And if he experiences any adverse reaction to stop the treatments right away!"

Dr. Prattier turns and walks back to the door from which he entered. Stopping briefly, he turns and speaks quietly. " Please! Just think about what i spoke about. We could do great things! SUCH great things!"

With that Dr. Prattier leaves, and once again Evelyn is alone. For a few moments she stays quiet, but soon she stirs a little.

" When David finds out about this, he's going to have a fit. He'll demand her found. He's become obsessed. If Tobias IS behind this, there is no way I'll be able to protect him from it. David will kill him without hesitation. Even if he isn't, David will stop at nothing to track him down."

She takes the paper work from her desk and begins to reread it, this time more carefully. Prattier was right, what they had done was a complete success. When she returns to David, it's possible he could gain full mobility. Even what the good doctor said about the void. There it is, in black and white. She may not know much about science or biology but its very clear. Evelyn takes a second and lets that all sink in.

They did it. They did what they had set out to do. All the tests were done. If they still had Beatrice Prior, she would have been terminated by now. That would have been the end of it. She could have the relationship she always wanted with Tobias. A mother to a son. But now, with this development, there's no way. Beatrice Prior is out there somewhere. Alive or dead, there is no way to tell. If it were up to her, Evelyn would have Beatrice terminated long ago.

" Oh Tobias!" Evelyn whispers to her self, " Why her? Why out of all the girls in the world you had to pick her? Vile thing. Worthless dog, she is. "

" Ugh!" Evelyn grunts in frustration, throwing the papers to the floor, " I hope she's dead and rotting!"

* * *

Writer's note: this was going to be the second half to the last chapter, but i opted to split it in two to make more sense.


	23. Chapter 23

**All rights to Veronica Roth….I own nothing**

* * *

I awake to find us curled up on the couch. She has her arms around my waist, and I'm half sitting up. Not the best thing for a sore back, but any reason to hold her this close is well worth it. While wishing I didn't have to, I wake her up.

I slide out from her grasp as she turns over into the back of the couch and mumbles something about not wanting to be awake yet. The sun is high and feels so warm coming through the windows. My instinct is to open them but I know it's cold out. It's late in the year and snow is on our breath. I think over my winters in my life. For the better part in Abnegation they were all the same. My large grey coat and high collar wrapped around my neck. Tight boots that always let the cold in. Abnegation hate the cold for that reason, which is why they rarely go out this time of year. Dauntless were indifferent. They'd layer and layer until they were warm. My first Dauntless year without my Abnegation wool coat was hard, but it was a happy surprise to receive my heavy leather boots with fur inside. They were work boots but they were warmer than anything I had ever experienced. In Dauntless we couldn't care less about the cold. Instead we would build large fires in the Pit. So large they usually got out of hand. The fluffy snow was the best. Jumping out of the train car you would lose all sense of stability and fall. We would have games of seeing who could fall the most dramatically without injury. Eric was always great at that. Eric. Bastard.

Going into the kitchen, I turn on a pot of water for coffee. I reach over and grab a tablet from my shelf and go sit in the shower on the floor. I trust my mother but I need to keep us safe. This at least gives me a neutral background that cannot be identified. With a deep breath, I turn the tablet on and press a listing that says Evelyn.

The bell noise engulfs the shower stall. It's so loud; it's almost too much to take. As soon as it starts, it ends. There is a click sort of noise and the screen goes from black to a bright orange with Evelyn's head in the middle. She is sitting at a desk in a bright office, the sun streaming through the windows.

" Good Morning!" I say, waving just a little.

Her flat lips upturn into a smile and she nods, " Good Morning, Tobias! How have you been? Seems like forever since we last spoke."

She's right. It's been weeks. Normally she calls more often than that. " I expected to hear from you. " I tell her, " I was surprised I hadn't."

" Just been busy!" She affirms. " Work has been fairly heavy lately. What about you? How have you been?"

I'm busting at the seams to just spill my guts, but I don't. " I'm okay. Weather's getting cold though."

" Yeah, even down here is starting to get a chill."

There is a quiet knock in the background and I hear a door open. I watch at she raises her chin and waves the person forward.

" Can't you see I'm busy?" She asks sternly.

I see a large yellow folder get passed to my mother and I hear a second voice.

" Yes Ma'am, sorry. This is the file you requested! "

" Thank you." She says, taking the folder and opening it briefly before placing it on her desk. " You can go now."

I see her smile and I can hear the persons footsteps get further and further away.

Evelyn turns back to me and opens her mouth to speak. Just as she does there is a noise like someone clearing their throat. I watch her close her mouth and frown a little. Turning her attention back away from the tablet she speaks. " Yes?"

" I'm sorry, Ma'am. But the information the headquarters had sent over is here. It says you're due back in five days and that the fitters are gone."

I watch Evelyn's hand go up and wave the person away. She turns back to me smiling again.

" So. Where were we?" she asks, slightly peppy but with a sigh.

"We weren't really anywhere." I say in honesty.

" Oh!" She says, eyebrows up, " Well then. How's work?"

In order to answer this question properly I would have to get into the whole story. So I stick to my script.

" It's ok. Lots of paperwork!" I lie.

" Usually is, my darling!" She laughs, " Well listen, we'll be in touch. I have so much to do here! We will have dinner when I'm back, okay?"

My mind starts to drift momentarily. _Five days. The fitters are gone._

" Yeah. Get in touch with me." I tell her.

_The fitters are gone._

" I will sweetheart!" she smiles, " I love you!"

_The fitters are gone. _

" Yeah. Bye." I mumble. The screen goes black.

_The fitters are gone_.

Grabbing the wall of the shower I stand myself up and head out of the bathroom. As I'm crossing the kitchen, I stop and pour my hot water into my coffee grounds.

_The fitters are gone._

Why is this bothering me? I pour a little milk in my cup and start to walk towards the couch, preparing to wake up Beatrice.

_The fitters are gone._

_The Fitters are gone._

_Fitter's._

_Abe Fitter?_

There is this slice of time when I watch as she sits up on the couch and smiles at me, but her smiles goes flat and her eyebrows go down. She is saying something to me but I can't hear her. Without hesitation I drop my coffee cup and grab my hair.

" Oh my god." I mutter.

" Tobias?" Beatrice calls, climbing over the couch and coming to me. " Tobias, what's wrong?"

" The Fitter's are gone!" I tell her, my mind rambling. " They're gone."

" What?" She looks at me in confusion, " I don't know what that means! Who or what are the fitters?"

" Abe. Abe Fitter. He's an employee at the Bureau. We forced information out of him to help find you."

" OH!" She says, " Where have they gone?"

" _Debbie_."

" Tobias? Where could they have gone?"

"_Franklin_."

" Tobias!" She shakes my shoulders.

" _Marty_." I utter. I push myself against the wall and slide down it until I'm sitting. Letting my face fall into my hands, I can only think of that man's face when I asked him if he knew me.

" Tobias?" She speaks quieter now, " Where did you just hear this? Who said they were gone?" She gives me a panicked look.

I pick my head up, staring off into the distant wall. Then like a bolt of lightning I turn to her.

" My mother."

* * *

Writer's note: I love this chapter. I love the memories Tobias drudges up about winter time. I love the idea of the dauntless going outside to play in the snow. There's something beautiful about it. These soldiers given the opportunity to live like carefree children for a period of time. to forget their duties and just have straight up fun. i love that.


	24. Chapter 24

**All rights to Veronica Roth… I own nothing**

* * *

He sits in the corner of the room, not saying a word. His chin rest in his hands and he stares out the windows. Every so often he lets out a loud exhale and readjusts. Aside from that, he hasn't spoken in over an hour. I'm starting to get concerned. Tobias isn't exactly a very forward person to begin with, so when he gets quiet it's hard to read him. All I can do at this point is sit back, watch and wait.

Suddenly.

" I'm done." He speaks. " I'm through."

" What's that?" I say, approaching him. I know his anger isn't with me, but I still do so cautiously. I step to him and place my hand upon his shoulder. He hardly even notices it. Slowly I crouch next to him. Blankly his eyes scan the skyline.

" Tobias?"

" If I'm right, and I don't really doubt that I am, she has a hand in all of this and she's probably near the top of the chain. Why would she do this? Why would she make a plea to be a family again and do this? Why does she hate me so much? She was never meant to be a mother. Never. It's not in her to be one. She's hardly even a human. All that she's done. Unforgivable. She knew. All this time she knew and she kept on pretending. Pretending that she cared, pretending that she loved. To love is something someone with a soul can do. Evelyn has no soul."

He pauses for a moment, licking his lips. With a guff noise he stands. I stand with him and try to keep him steady. Before I can do anything, he pulls me into him by my neck.

" I swear to you. If she does anything to hurt you, harm you or even fucking speak to you, I will kill her. "

I feel the vibrations in his chest as he speaks and it's like the hum of a generator. It's sturdy and deep. I once saw a flash of this anger before. It was when Peter had attacked me with Drew and Al.

" Come on! " He says, swinging me around and heading for the door, " We're getting out of here! I need some fucking air!"

I grab my coat as he pulls me along, " Where are we going?"

"_ The roof_."

Before we actually make it there I convince him to stop by Zeke's apartment and after much convincing, he joins us.

" You shouldn't be doing this!" Zeke calls out as he tries to keep up our pace. Tobias is in such a mood, I nearly have to run to keep up with him. The rest of the way up I listen to Zeke continually call out to him, but he never answers. He doesn't even speak until we reach the roof access door.

" FUCKING HELL!" he cries out, bashing the door open and engulfing himself in the cold air. We stop at the doorway and watch as he tumbles forward, his hands on his knees and breathes deeply.

" Wanna tell me what's going on?" Zeke says, making awkward eye contact with me.

" He spoke to Evelyn this morning. He thinks she has something to do with all of this." I tell him, keeping my eyes on Tobias. He is standing up straight now, but is yet to turn around.

Zeke steps forward and turns to face me, taking my attention of what was going on in front of me." What makes him think that?"

" It's hard to say. He was speaking in broken sentences! " I tell him, " He kept mentioning someone. Some guy, Abe…Abe Fitter I think he said."

I watch as Zeke's eyes get a little wider and his mouth twitches. " What exactly was said?"

"The Fitter's are gone!" Tobias shouts over the rooftop towards us, " someone told Evelyn that the Fitter's were gone. It took me a little while to grasp what I had heard. But I knew!" He turns and walks to us, keeping his head down.

" That could mean any..."

" Zeke!" Tobias interrupts him, " What do your instincts tell you?"

We watch as Zeke takes a moment and processes this, but before long his face becomes less hard and he chews on the inside of his cheek a little.

" What do you want to do?" I inquired.

Tobias turns and looks out over the city again, letting out a heavy sigh. He's conflicted on his coming actions. " Well, " He explains, " Nothing!"

Before we can question him he buts in, raising his hand. " Hey! I said nothing! She asked me to have dinner with her. I'll go, and while I'm there I will try to get some information. It's best if we don't move just yet or we could lose all sight of David. No, we're staying below radar. I'm going to remain in hiding until I meet with Evelyn. Although while it's still warm enough we're going to take as much roof access as we please!" He says, rolling his eyes to Zeke, " We're going crazy in there!"

Zeke lets a small crack of a smile pull at the corner of his mouth. " Alright! That's far enough! So we wait?"

" We wait!" Tobias confirms. He takes my hand and squeezes it a little, " It'll be worth it!"

We hang out for a few moments and enjoy the air before we head back down the stairs. Tobias is still very tense, I can feel it coming off of him in waves. I don't know how he will handle Evelyn, but I have a solid feeling that he wouldn't hesitate to kill her. She's had every last chance to do right by him, and she's repeatedly hurt him, in every possibly conceivable way. Tobias is right, she is a monster!

We leave Zeke at his floor and head one lower to our own. When we enter our place, it has a new feeling. No longer our prison there seems to be a calming sensation to it. I turn to ask him if he's hungry, but I see he's heading right for the bedroom. Interested, I follow him. With a heavy exhale, he flops himself onto the bed. I lay down beside him and he pulls me in close with a noise best resembling a hum. He's worried but he won't speak of it. He's worried mostly because he wondering what sort of involvement Evelyn has. I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a deep part of me that worried the same thing. But I will just have to wait. Right now my only thought is to watch the world melt away while, so I close my eyes and breathe him in.

* * *

Writer's note: sorry i haven't written in a while. Things are very crazy right now and on top of it all we are planning a move so it's been hard to find time these past few weeks. So basically if it takes me a few days to post a new chapter don't get discouraged :)


	25. Chapter 25

**All rights to Veronica Roth….I own nothing.**

* * *

I spend the morning getting ready and trying to go over everything I need from Evelyn and how I'm going to get it out of her. Sitting with Beatrice at the table, I don't so much eat as much as push my food around for twenty minutes. Finally she breaks the silence.

" Don't worry so much about it" She says, making me raise my gaze from my plate up to her face, " You work better on the fly! Go with your gut!"

I smile at her. She is my rock now, my gravity that keeps me steady. She's right though. Even in my Dauntless training I remember them remarking on my reaction times. And besides, going with my gut has gotten me this far. Even brought Beatrice back to me! I think this over for a minute and it gives me the boost I need. Finally, I chow down on my eggs and bread.

Several hours later I find myself walking into my old building. I take alleys and roof tops the entire way to keep myself out of sight. I left Beatrice at home with Christina. If something goes wrong, I know she's well taken care of. Before I left I gave Christina strict orders to follow in case something were to happen to being the first time I have left Beatrice's side since bringing her home was fairly hard on me. I kiss her over and over again, too fearful it may be my last…again.

When I approach my old door a weight settles in my chest. When I first moved in here it was my haven. It was the one place I could be myself and let myself grieve. It was where I could talk to Beatrice and not feel crazy. With a subtle quick check of the hallway, I enter and shut the door and lock it immediately.

" _Hello Tobias_!"

I don't have to turn around to realize who it is. That old familiar voice.

" Hello Mother." I look and see her sitting at the kitchen table. Her legs are crossed and she lips are pursed. " Hope I haven't kept you waiting long!"

" Not really." She says breezily, " Maybe an hour. I suspected you home from work then."

" I had a few things to take care of." I don't consider it lying since I honestly did. I promised Beatrice we could go up to the roof for a while and watch the sun set. I wasn't breaking that promise! We sat there for an hour watching the sun slowly retreat behind the buildings, then like a whisper it was gone. It felt so good being outside with her again. I love to smell the air on her. It reminds me of our trips on the train.

" Really? Well then! If it is alright with you, I'd rather not do the cooking this evening. I'm quite tired. You don't mind cooking do you?"

As soon as the words leave her mouth I remember we left the food I had in there, and by now it's all gone bad. I dread even opening the door. The smell must be deadly.

"I don't think I have much. " I tell her, again, not lying.

I watch as her eyes squint towards me and her look hardens. She stands and walks towards me, with only a counter between us. She stares me down for a moment and I see a small crack of a smile in the corner of her mouth. She raises an eyebrow and i know she's trying to get a read on me. It's like she wants me to confess something to her. Like a good honest son should. But I don't. I look at her at sternly and flatly as I can.

She soon realizes I won't budge in her direction, so with a tone she says," Well maybe if you still lived here maybe there would be food here!"

Her eyes flick towards the bedroom and when I allow myself to look I see all the drawers in my dresser are opened and half on the floor. She's been here already. She's searched. Sly fox, my mother.

" Maybe you're right." I tell her, keeping a level head, " See, I wasn't really feeling this part of town anymore."

Her nails grip into fists as she crosses her arms to hide it. She's too slow though and I see it loud and clear. If it were possible, I'm certain she would strangle me right here, but she doesn't. Her tone however, get angrier and more abrupt.

" But that _would be_ if you could actually get any food. For that you would need to be working still. And according to your secretary, _you disappeared a few weeks ago_."

I have to give her credit; she's covered all the bases. I worry for a second she knows more than I have on her. I feel a tightness in my stomach. I suddenly wish I was back home with Beatrice. But I stay straight faced, looking her square in the eyes. Whatever happens, I cannot let her break me open.

" Just didn't suit me anymore! I wasn't meant for that kind of work." I tell her. " Besides, I'm too busy for real work."

Her smile cracks a little more, " Maybe you truly were a Dauntless after all!"

" Faction before blood…._Mom_." It's an instinctual remark. When I call her _mom_ I see the little fractures I've made widen and she become angry very quickly.

She doesn't move but she shakes. An unknown period of time passes as we just stare at each other. Suddenly she makes a move and slams her hand in front on her, causing me to grab the gun holstered in the back of my jeans. She makes a small noise when she sees it. My best guess is she didn't think i would bring a gun, let alone pull it on her.

I aim the barrel straight at her chest before I realized what she's done. My eyes flick to her and then down to the counter. I see it, a small glass bottle with a white label on it.

" What is this?" She asks me, flipping her hair out of her face. She knows. There isn't any point for games anymore.

" Must have left it behind! We had to leave in a bit of a hurry ya know! Didn't think too much about it cleaning up." I say cockily. I'm a step ahead now, I know I am. I see it in her demeanor.

" Where is she, Tobias?" She threatens, taking a step to the left to expose her self from the counter.

" You'll never find her!" I tell her, lifting my chin a little as well as my gun, " And if you do, you won't live long enough to tell anyone!"

" You have done such a grave thing here, my son! You will die for this!" She warns.

" _MY SON_?" I yell at her, " HOW DARE YOU CALL ME SUCH A THING? AND _ME_? You're going to tell me I'm making a mistake? You lied to me! You knew this whole time and you lied to me. You told me you wanted to be a family again! YOU ARE NO MOTHER! You are just as bad as Marcus! WORSE! At least he hated me to my face, let me see the full scale of his anger. Ya know what Evelyn? FUCK YOU! And while you're at it, Tell David I said FUCK YOU TOO!"

I watch her face closely, but there is no need. Her face drops and her mouth opens. She's shocked at my mentioning of David. There's the sign I needed.

" I knew it!" I yell, " I fucking knew it! And you can't even deny it! You fucking monster! I'm done! Stay away from us, or so help me…"

I back myself to the door and reach behind me for the handle and unlock it.

" I will not hesitate to kill you. I'm giving you this warning as your one chance. Any communication from here on out makes this void. You will be killed on sight!"

I put two bullets into the counter top and as she ducks out of the way, I bolt for it. I run for the roof and make my way back home. I know she won't follow me, but I can't be certain she will heed my warning. I give her this one and only chance not for her, but for us. This is the only way David will get word and make his whereabouts known. That's when I will ruin that complete and serious fuck!

Running home is cold. But being like this, this adrenaline, running across rooftops and escaping, gives me such a rush. She was right about something. Dauntless will certainly always be in me. As for now, I'm going home to my girl and figure out how to get out of this fucking city.

* * *

Writer's note : I was pretty excited to write this chapter. Picturing Four standing up to his mother. OOO it's so good! :D Busy few days coming up! at the latest i swear i'll update by sunday!


	26. Chapter 26

**All rights to Veronica Roth….I own nothing.**

* * *

" Did you run the whole way back?" Christina jokes as I enter the apartment. Using the back of my hand I wipe my brow, and realize it's soaked. I haven't done this much exertion to my body in a very long time. I can feel my body is older now.

I collapse into the nearest chair and exhale so loudly, it hurts my chest. There's a shuffling noise, and I watch as Beatrice crosses towards me with a glass of water. She squats next to me and touches my hand. She doesn't have to say anything, it's written all over her face.

" I'm fine." I tell her, although she doesn't believe me. "Honestly! It went down without injury, well physical injury anyway."

Christina sits up a little straighter, " So she showed up?"

"She sure did!" I reply, rubbing the bridge of my nose, " She was there when I arrived. I assume she wanted to get the drop on me! Played it cool though, or at least I tried to. She's pretty upset and could hardly hide it."

My eyes flick down to the floor and then quickly up to Beatrice's eyes, " She snooped around before I got there. She found a bottle we had left behind. She asked where I was hiding you."

I watch as Beatrice's eyes widen and her jaw tightens. I retell the events of earlier to the best of my ability. I admit, there were a few times there where my adrenaline took over and I was a bit out of sorts.

" So basically all of the cards are on the table. She knows I have you. And we know she's working with David." When I say it, there's a release in my chest. But it's almost immediately replaced by a different one. Evelyn will have to report to David. He will discover what I've done and sure as hell come after us.

There's a swift knock on the door and the three of us nearly jump out of our skins. Christina rises and, peeking slowly, opens the door to allow Zeke to enter.

"Well you're in one piece so I suppose it didn't go too terribly!" He says. He's serious but he's trying to keep it light. Walking to me, he reaches out and claps a hand to my shoulder.

" I received this not ten minutes ago, " He says, dropping a thick small envelope in my lap, " Though, it's for you."

Sitting up I turn it over and see very large letters FOUR across the front. Ripping it open I find the familiar old red paper and handwriting.

" It's from Mary Cline!" I say, and begin to read the letter aloud.

**_Four,_**

**_I'm sorry but I must contact you again. Word has been received that the Fitter family has gone missing. I heard they left in the night. House empty, no signs of where they had gone. Whether they went on their own accord is a whole other matter. Although I believe he took his family and ran for it._**

**_The same cannot be said for your dear friend Matthew, who has also gone missing. I have heard nothing on this, except that David had somehow worked out that he had been working with whoever had taken Tris. I worry for Matthew. Such a kind man._**

**_If David has worked out Matthew's end of it all, I have no doubt you will not be far behind. David is not stupid and I'm sure he already suspects you. All he is looking for is evidence as to not ruin his relationship with Evelyn._**

" How does she know about Abe and Matthew?" I mumble to myself, although clearly everyone hears me.

" Well if she was following us as much as you say, " Beatrice answers. " She probably was still keeping tabs on you this whole time."

Zeke leans himself against the nearest wall, and huffs , " It's a scary thought though. If she can watch us so closely, what's to stop anyone else?"

There's a silence that hushes over us and, flicking the paper in my hand I realize there's a second page to this letter. This page is more hastily written and smudged ink that even still looked wet.

**_Four you must run. Get out of the city now! I've heard whispers that you've been spotted! Who you may be conspiring with! Where you might be!_**

**_Go now…_**

Suddenly,

There's another knock on the door.

* * *

Writers note: so straight up…I'M SOOOOOO SORRY FOR THE DELAY! Things have been crazy the last two weeks and i'd hit a small writers block on how to turn the story to where i need it. Sorry for the short chapter but i swear, bear with me for a little while and it'll pick up again! again, sorry for the delay….just a crazy over scheduled few weeks.


	27. Chapter 27

**All rights to Veronica Roth…I own nothing!**

* * *

A woman walks quickly down a darkened street. The only sounds are her shoes on the pavement and the heaviness in her breath. There's a gust of wind and she pulls her coat closer to her neck. She's in such a hurry, she doesn't even notice the man trailing behind her. For blocks he follows her, quietly keeping pace.

" Evelyn!" The man's voice calls out.

With the assumption she's alone, the man's voice rings loudly and she nearly jumps out of her skin.

" My god!" she cries out, " What are you doing? You scared me half to death!"

The man slowly approaches, his arms in front of him in a gesture of good faith.

" Calm down!" he tells her, " David has sent me. He needs to see you. It says it's urgent."

Evelyn takes a moment and thinks over the afternoon events and her encounter with her son. She looks to the man and the look on his face makes her realize he's noticed her brief hesitation. With another tug on her collar, she walks to the man and follows him down a side street.

They make a maze through several streets to a different part of town. Approaching a small wooden door in a brick building, the man comes to a sudden stop, gesturing forward to Evelyn.

" What?" She exclaims, " You mean he's _here_? "

" He's waiting, Ma'am."

Entering the building and climbing the immediate staircase in front of her, Evelyn begins to nervously quiver. She has put so much effort into their work, so much time. But Tobias is her son. More importantly, David is a very scary man.

Reaching the top of the stairs she finds a long hallway. At the end there is a door cracked open and it emits a soft light. Straightening up, she heads for it. Creaking the door open she sees David in a small room alone, facing the only window.

"David?" She announces herself politely, no need to stir things up right out of the gate.

David turns his head slightly to the right and breathes deeply, "Come in Evelyn!" he says sternly.

Entering the room completely, she turns and closes the door behind her. " You know David, if you needed to speak to me you didn't have to go to such lengths. I would have come immediately!"

" And so you did!" David says, turning his wheel chair to finally face her. In his lap lies a thick folder. Evelyn recognizes it by the code across the top. It's the main file, it holds all the detail to their project.

" This has been a long road, a long agonizing road. Countless days, months and even years we've spent working closely and even as two adults, we've become closer. Now, we find ourselves at a turning point. Is there a reason why you did not personally inform me of the information you've come across?"

For a moment she stands there. Her mind goes blank and suffers a brief panic.

" I don't..." she begins, but is quickly cut off.

" No you didn't!" David grimaces. " Why wouldn't you immediately come to me? Why wouldn't you tell me about the experimental process the board believes possible? Why wouldn't you come to me with the fertilization prospect? Evelyn! I'm asking you a question!"

His voice is angry but he almost sounds hurt. A sign as to how deeply he treasures his work.

" David, I promise, I was about to come and find you! I had some personal matters to take care of first! " She argues, " I would never keep such important information from you!"

He takes a few minutes to absorb his thoughts, folding his hands over each other in his lap.

" I suppose I did jump on you. I apologize. " He reaches a hand out and without a word, Evelyn crosses the room to him. Taking his hand in hers, she kneels next to him, placing his hand to her cheek. For a moment they lock eyes.

" This is big news for our cause, Evelyn! This will change the face of the entire program. We could bring it to the public finally. No one would refute us with an advancement like that!"

He smiles to her and she melts into him, embracing him tightly. She sighs and sits back on he heels.

" Where do we begin?" As soon as she says it, she already knows the answer.

" We find Ms. Beatrice Prior! Whatever rebel action took her certainly was able to keep her well and alive, by the amount of drugs they stole from the supply cabinet. We've started processing all the eyewitness accounts from the compound and we've made some advances. I have no doubt we'll know something soon!" David sounds extremely reassured, and that startles her.

Evelyn feels her body go rigged. She sits back away from him, trying to hide her very visible confliction.

" Evelyn?" He reaches his other hand out and with a finger to her chin, pulls her face back towards his own. " Smile! This is amazing new for us! Everything is looking up!"

He looks into her eyes and he sees the confusion. Shaking his head, he furrows his brow. " What is it?"

She bites her lip softly. She's lost.

" I may know something more." She forces out, " I may know more about these rebels that took D1 from the facility."

Carefully she sits up and begins to stand away from him. Her face scrunches up as a physical manifestation of her confliction. She begins to murmur to herself. Weighing options in either direction. Pacing back and forth until she comes to a full stop in the middle of the room. Like a bolt of lightning she turns on point, her eyes glazed over." There are two things I know in this world. One is that this project is dire to the preservation of the human race. To our future the way we desire it! Two, I was never meant to be a mother. I have never had a motherly bone in my body. David, it's Tobias! It was him who penetrated our facility and took D1." It all comes out so quickly, there's no stopping it. Her eyes widen in disbelief.

" Thank you for your honesty! And so I suppose I should be honest too. The truth is we knew about Tobias. I just wanted to be sure you could be trusted with this new information."

David begins to wheel himself forward and opens the door.

" We've been monitoring you since you got back in town. We know you went to his home, twice. We know you met with him. We even watched him leave. Don't be ashamed, this was beyond helpful. You did no wrong here! Should be easy enough to reclaim Ms. Prior, now that we know where they are."

* * *

Writer's note: hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. things are about to pick up :D


End file.
